School of Heroes
by Noble Scotsman
Summary: Returning to Kadic Academy, our favorite Lyoko Warriors must face challenges outside Lyoko as well as within, and finally face their emotions.
1. Chapter 1 -- Reunion

**Hi guys,** Noble Scotsman** here with a new story from Code Lyoko. Although I know that there is a new season coming out soon, I don't see any reason why that should stop authors like me from writing fanfiction, so, without further ado, please enjoy the story!**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

The autumn leaves shone in the sunlight as they danced in the wind, reflecting Aelita's mood as she watched them, giddy with the thought of the summer's end. It had been a long summer without the boys, and September was finally here. Yumi and she had so many great experiences during the summer, but it never felt complete somehow. There was always this empty space she felt without the others.

"I guess this is how it'll be after we graduate, huh…" she murmured to herself in a moment of sadness among her excitement.

"I'm sorry, what did you say, Aelita?" Yumi said, turning from her pacing to look at her. Despite her claims otherwise, Aelita knew that she had missed the guys too…Or one in particular, rather.

"I was just wondering when Ulrich would get here," Aelita said casually, watching with satisfaction as a slight flush came into Yumi's face at the mention of his name.

"What do you mean?" Yumi challenged, crossing her arms.

"Come on Yumi, you know you missed him, didn't you?" Aelita smirked.

Yumi's blush became even more defined. "I-I don't know about that I just thought-" The rest of her sentence was cut off by a light touch on her shoulder and a soft whisper in her ear, making her jump.

"Hey."

"Ulrich!" Aelita exclaimed, waving to him from her perch on the wall. "You're the first one back; how was your summer?"

"It was ok; I guess…My parents hired my math tutor again, trying to get me prepared for this semester of Geometry I think…" Ulrich shrugged, casually throwing an arm around Yumi's shoulders and turning to her, much to the delight of Aelita. "So how was _your_ summer?" he asked casually.

"I-It was ok…I had a lot of fun with Aelita…" Yumi faltered, looking into his forest-green eyes. "I'm glad you're back though."

"Well good," Ulrich smirked, shouldering his bag and walking over to give Aelita a high-five, making Yumi shiver as his touch slid away, not from cold but from the lack of contact between them. "So," he said to Aelita, "You made sure to not hassle Yumi too much, right?"

She smirked. "Thrice a day."

"So the only social time between you girls was when you brushed your teeth together then?" Ulrich laughed.

Aelita rolled her eyes. "You know, dentists say to brush your teeth _twice_ a day…"

"These teeth don't stay white all on their own, you know," a voice said from behind Aelita. She swiveled around to see a blonde boy wearing purple and black clothes leaning against the wall next to her. "What do you think, Princess?"

"Odd!" Aelita gasped, hugging him. "Welcome back!"

Odd jumped up on the wall next to her, still with one arm around her. "Glad to see you've missed me," he said, giving her a dazzling white smile.

Yumi smirked at the sight of Aelita's blush, but was distracted by the sight of a slight, weedy friend of hers making his way through the gate towards them. "Jeremy's here!"

"Hey, Einstein," Odd called, waving with his arm that wasn't around Aelita.

Jeremy raised his eyebrow at the sight of them and pushed up his glasses, jumping immediately into a speech he had been preparing on the way over. "Hello, Odd. Say, guys, I've been thinking…" he was cut off mid-sentence by a sudden noise as Odd's stomach growled, making everyone else laugh.

"We'll have to continue this conversation later…" Ulrich laughed, patting Jeremy on the shoulder as he passed.

Jeremy stood still for a moment, shocked by his friends' lack of interest in his new theory. He looked down and sighed though, a smile on his face as he looked after them. "They haven't changed a bit, have they?" he said to himself with satisfaction, jogging to keep up with the pace Odd set in his quest for food. "Hey guys, wait for me!"

* * *

"Ahhh…It's great to be back, right good buddy?" Ulrich sighed, dropping his bag next to his bunk and leaning out the door to ask Jeremy if he needed help, hearing a faint 'no thanks,' he turned back to Odd. "Ready for dinner? Honestly, it's really like us to come back during a mealtime…Delaying the inevitable return for some consolatory food, Odd?"

"Ah, ya…Right," Odd said, distracted by a package he had found under his pillow. He was sure he hadn't left anything like this behind when they left…But it didn't have any writing whatsoever on it. "Hey, Ulrich, is this yours?" he said, turning to his friend with a puzzled look on his face.

"What's that you've got there?" Ulrich grinned from his slumped position on his bunk. "A package? I've never seen it before; I came in with you, remember?"

"Oh, right…" Odd said vaguely.

Ulrich sighed and sprang up, and with a laugh grabbed the ruff of Odd's collar and putting the struggling cat-like boy in a headlock, barely giving him enough time to stash his mysterious package under his pillow again. "Don't make Rosa's food get cold, Odd! Besides, Jeremy and the girls are waiting for us."

Odd grinned from his position underneath Ulrich's elbow. "Oh yes, Yumi's been waiting all summer for you, Ulrich, let's not make her wait any longer, hm?"

Ulrich looked away, quiet, and Odd took this chance to duck out of his grasp and make a dash for the stairs. "First come first serve!" he hollered with joy as he flew down the stairs, a startled Ulrich not far behind.

"Hey! No fair!" Ulrich laughed as he struggled to match Odd's furious pace, the airflow ruffling his hair, the sun dancing his favorite patterns on the stairwell, reminding him of how much he loved Kadic. "It's great to be back!" he hollered, hearing the shouts of assent from those students above and below him, echoing his excitement for the semester. No matter what year you were, what experiences you had, Kadic was a school you never forgot, and never failed to return to.

* * *

"Hmm…mm-mm…" Odd munched, his eyes half-closed with the pleasure of eating, much to the amusement of those around him. Rosa had gone the extra measure for her favorite student and recipient of meals, making Odd's favorite spaghetti and meatballs, and even promising him the remainder of the pot after everyone else had left. Ever since Odd had joined her cooking class last year and become her prized student, her whole mentality towards his appetite had changed, and she even called upon him to help man the kitchen when she was feeling overwhelmed.

"How's it goin', Odd?" she called to him now, one eyebrow raised, ladle resting on her shoulder.

Odd immediately stood up, spaghetti sauce around his mouth, holding a spoon in his hand. "Ma'am, I salute you and all makers of this wonderful meal!" he called, gesturing with his spoon dramatically before sitting back down to work.

"That's ma boy!" Rosa called back, satisfied before taking back up her weapon and entering the maelstrom of the kitchen. The mood at Odd's table was now more amused than ever, and Ulrich was in hysterics at his performance. After the laughter had died down a little, the group began to talk, sharing stories of their summer. Ulrich had gone back to Germany to see his family; Odd had been to California to see his parents and their work in Hollywood; and Jeremy had been to lectures at Oxford on the topic of 'cellular degeneration resignation signatures transcribed onto a digital 3-dimensional plane' and the 'process of re-animation in a transcendental avatarial form', in which, he shared, Franz Hopper was a world-renowned expert on the subject, his notes providing helpful information to other renowned scientists.

Still bewildered with the enormity of the information Jeremy took in over his summer, as well as the strangeness of his personal life, Yumi and Aelita told of their summer together, and how Yumi's parents had surprised them by taking them to Paris for a week, where Aelita had learned to draw from kindly street artists while Yumi had bought new clothes.

"So, there you were, first of all Yumi, wearing beautiful silks and satins, while Aelita was in jeans, a short jacket and covered in chalk dust?" Ulrich laughed, turning to Yumi, his forest green eyes making her heart beat unnaturally fast for some reason. "Is this true? How could you do that to poor little Aelita over here?"

Yumi looked away, blushing. "Sorry…"

"Hey," Ulrich said, putting an arm around her and pulling her closer, forcing her to look into his eyes. "I was kidding."

"Besides," Odd said, throwing Aelita a mischievous glance accompanied by a smirk, "Aelita looks beautiful in anything, or am I the only one who noticed?"

Aelita blushed, and broke eye contact, her heart fluttering madly.

"I-I noticed too!" Jeremy claimed, clearly upset about Odd's compliment, but more so by Aelita's reaction. He didn't understand what had come over Aelita, what had made him lose her adoring gaze, her gentle smile now given more to Odd than him. He shook his head to clear his thoughts; it was only the first day, and he didn't want to start anything between Odd and himself, Odd was too good a friend to lose trust from.

A moment of silence endured, each member absorbed into their own thoughts, before Ulrich shifted his weight, sending Yumi's heart pounded wildly, terrified at the thought that he might leave her. Instead he pulled out his phone, checking the time. Glancing over his shoulder at the gloom of night which had unexpectedly crept up on them, he turned to Yumi, saying something which sent her calming heart back into mad palpitations. "It's about time I usually walk you home, isn't it?"

Ulrich helped Yumi to her feet, earning him a muffled 'thank you,' to which he replied with a quiet chuckle. At this, the others got up, chairs scraping against the hard wood of the floor.

"Good-night guys, see you tomorrow," Ulrich said, keeping ahold of Yumi's hand and heading off towards the gate, there would be no curfew tonight since classes had not started yet. Aelita and Odd exchanged grins as the couple walked off.

"You know…" Odd commented, sticking his hands in his pockets like Ulrich, "We're just friends."

Aelita and Jeremy bust into a new wave of laughter, trying unsuccessfully to stifle their humor. They walked towards the dorms together, a heated discussion brewing between the three about Ulrich and Yumi, and although Jeremy was not one to gossip, he found this conversation relatively easy to join, and he was glad that Aelita and Odd welcomed him into their joke with such open arms. Bidding Aelita and Odd goodnight at the stairs, he disappeared from their sight through the doors, grinning back at them.

"See you guys tomorrow."

"Can't wait, Einstein."

"Good-night, Jeremy."

With Jeremy gone, Odd had no other reason to stay with Aelita, and he turned reluctantly away, sending a last-minute grin back her way, teeth flashing white in the moonlight.

"I'll see you tomorrow; sleep well, Princess," he said, turning away.

Feeling very alone in the moonlight, Aelita slowly made her way up to her room, feeling a strange sensation in her chest at the thought of seeing Odd tomorrow. Pushing the feeling aside, she was overcome by sleep, and drifted off to the world of illusion.

"Good-night, Odd…" she whispered into the dark, hugging Mister Puck tightly.

* * *

A floor below, Odd was opening his mysterious package. It was a small canvas sketch mounted on a wooden frame. The picture was simple, but beautiful, of a rose head, shaded darkly amongst the white, but beautiful all the same. In the bottom corner, in flowing script, were the words 'pour vous,' or 'for you,' in French, and Odd smiled a small smile to himself, putting the picture atop the desk. It was a beautiful drawing, but who had it been from, he wondered.

'_Aelita…'_ all his thoughts, his hopes screamed.

"No! She's with Jeremy…" Odd muttered angrily to himself, shaking his head with confusion. Shrugging off his curiosity, he slipped into bed. Glancing back at the picture one last time before his eyes closed, a final question forming in his mind, more important to him than why it had been given, or even who it was.

"What does this mean for me?" he wondered aloud, troubled at the thought of being forced to reject a girl's love confession. He just wasn't good with it, that's why he had gone out with so many girls, he couldn't stand to see them cry, but Aelita might cry too if he went out with someone else…Or would she?

Troubled, Odd slipped into a restless sleep, disturbed by the questions he couldn't answer.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed it, I know it was fun writing it.**

**I'm not going to promise a new chapter every day, like I tried to do for my other story, **Code Lyoko: High School Battles, **but I will try to upload a new chapter once a week. I'm also attempting to make every chapter over 2'000 words, so you readers actually have something to read!**

******Also, I am ****_going _****to add an original character into this lineup at some point, so please leave a comment to give me your ideas. ****Must ****be a girl, comment ****has ****to include Lyoko power, detail is helpful (eye color, hair color/style, height, complexion, ect) I will post a new chapter here with the fan favorites to let you vote on who should become the new OC, and winner will help me fit them into chapters until I have their correct mindset via PM (accounts are free). I know I used to have quite a large following here, but let's see who remained. Any suggestions are welcome, but I'll only wait a month (December 1) before I design my own OC.**

******Chapter 2 will be out soon!**


	2. Chapter 2 -- First Day

**Hey guys! **Noble Scotsman **here with an AN on my new story from **Code Lyoko. **I sincerely hope everyone's enjoying it so far, even though it's still in its early stages, but I hope you'll stick with it.**

**So, without further ado, I present you with the second chapter ****of **School of Heroes**.**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Odd's eyes flew open at the smell of a perfume, vaguely familiar. As his eyes adjusted to the light, two brilliant emerald-green eyes looked back at him, inches from his face. He blinked, they blinked back. He tucked back a strand of hair, a pink double followed. Odd blinked again, considering rolling over and going back to sleep, but contented himself with just staring into those endless green eyes instead, fascinated by the depth and luminosity of them.

"You're not even going to ask why I'm here?" the eyes asked.

Odd blinked.

"So you're saying you get a lot of visitors here, Odd?" the eyes said, raising their eyebrows.

Odd blinked.

"Am I the best visitor so far?" the eyes asked, crinkling into a smile.

Odd closed his eyes, and after a second, a faint snoring could be heard from him. Aelita sat up with a laugh from her position lying next to Odd on top of the sheets, and looked at Ulrich with an expectant grin.

"See? I told you he wouldn't freak out; where're my euros?"

"In _his _wallet, I'm broke," Ulrich groaned, throwing a pillow at her, which she promptly caught and set next to Odd's, lying back down and winking at him.

"In that case I'll wait for him to wake up and get my money then."

Ulrich grinned and shook his head. "You know you like him."

Aelita blinked. "Anything for a laugh."

Ulrich grabbed all three of their bags on the way out, smirking at Aelita on the way out, one hand fitting through all three straps with ease, the weight of combined books irrelevant to him, showing how much he had grown over the summer. He turned back at the door, "I'll save you both a croissant."

"Say hi to Yumi for me."

"Yep. I'll also try to snag Jeremy on the way, if he sees you like this then there will be hell to pay…"

Aelita waved as Ulrich left, once again grateful for his easygoing nature. It had started as a funny dare from Ulrich, and Aelita thought it would be fun to go along with it. Although she didn't know how she felt about Odd, Ulrich gave no qualms about his opinion on this matter, though; his usual state of being perfectly fine with things.

Aelita sat up and looked around, her eyes alighting on the picture Odd had gotten yesterday. She got up and looked at it closer, seeing the imperfections that only the creator sees, sighing with the inadequacy. If only she had spent more time practicing her sketching, maybe she could have done a better job, something he could treasure more…

She sighed, and failed to hear the soft padding of feet on the cold floor. Feeling someone's arms come around her waist, Aelita's eyes flew wide open with surprise as a cold fear rooted itself in her stomach.

"Good morning, Princess," a voice whispered in her ear with barely contained amusement.

"Odd!" Aelita sighed, relief coursing through her only to be replaced by a burning sensation of embarrassment as she felt the heat of his arms next to her, the closeness of his lips. "What are you-"

"This is your punishment," Odd said, laying his head on her shoulder. "Just stay here until I forgive you."

Aelita didn't respond, she just looked out the window and listened to the pounding of her heart, the slow breathing of Odd, feeling the heat from Odd's skin, the heartbeat against her back. '_I wish that it could always be like this…' _she wished, causing a new round of blushing and an instant reprimand from her cool, calculating side.

Suddenly the door burst open, revealing an excited Millie and Tamiya, camera poised and at the ready. With a flash and a quick command from Millie, they were off down the corridor again; a scoop more than they had before, and on the first day of school too!

Odd cursed, and he was off, sprinting down the corridor bare-chested and clad only in the trousers he wore to bed. Aelita crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe as delighted screams and giggles emitted from the girl's dorm above, as Odd chased the devious duo, and from the amount of crashing and shaking of the floor, Aelita assumed Jim was in on the pursuit.

"Odd…You idiot," she smiled, closing the door and jogging down to the cafeteria, not wanting to be anywhere near the 'crime scene' when Odd and Jim got back with the camera.

* * *

Odd vaulted over an unsuspecting student in the corridor, shouting an apology over his shoulder as he closed on his prey. They were good, darting in rooms with two entrances, but Odd was gaining ground. Just as they got to their room and were closing their locked door, Odd dived and slid his foot in the gap, stopping the door from closing to the chagrin of the reporters on the other side. Wincing as he stood up, Tamiya's eyes widened as she saw him through the gap. Millie dashed for the closet.

Odd forced the door open and closed it behind him, giving a disapproving stare and holding his hand out for the camera. "Come on Tamiya, fun's over."

No sooner than he had said this than the three burst out laughing. They had known each other too long for such antagonistic methods to work. Millie and Odd slumped on the bed and complimented each other on escape methods they had used in the past, and the quality of this chase as Tamiya pulled up the picture on her camera in front of Odd, as well as the delete button, which Odd pressed. Before she could pull the camera away, though, Odd grabbed it and scrolled over the next two pictures, also pictures of him and Aelita, and deleted them too, giving a wink to Tamiya.

"Nice try. Now if I wasn't the one who told you that you should do that, you would have had me even then."

The two grinned at each other, proud of Odd's praise. "You got us…" Millie surrendered, holding up her hands. "But is it true? About you and Aelita?" she asked.

Odd sighed and ruffled Tamiya's hair, making her giggle. "I like her, but I'm not sure about it being the other way…I doubt she feels the same though. She's always with Jeremy."

"Aww…" Tamiya groaned, sorry for Odd. He was her hero, and she thought that Odd and Aelita would make a perfect couple.

"Well, you caught me at a bad time…" Odd winked, opening the door and gesturing to his attire. "And so…I shall take my leave of you, my ladies," he grinned with a sweeping bow.

"Oh, Odd?" Millie called with a grin, pressing a button on an audio recorder she held.

"…_like her, but I'm not sure about it being the other way…I doubt she fee-'_ the recording cut off as Odd made a grab for it.

"Very clever. Now delete it, I'm serious."

Millie shook her head, and Odd sighed.

"Please?"

"Nope."

"I'll give you a picture of Ulrich training with a katana."

"Hmm…Interesting, as I didn't know he did that, but no deal," Millie said over Tamiya's '_We'll__take__it__!'_

"Look, I'll…I'll get you a date with Hiroki, ok?"

Millie gasped, and thrust the recording into his hands, pushing him out the door. "Remember to keep your promise!" she called as the door slammed in his surprised face.

Odd shook his head and walked off. "Freshmen…"

* * *

"So what's this 'big picture' you have?" Millie asked, eyes still alight with the prospect of a date with Hiroki, but mistrust for anything really interesting left on Tamiya's camera evident on her face.

Tamiya leaned in. "Is he really gone?" she whispered.

Millie checked, then locked the door. "Yes," she replied. "Now what is it?"

"Look at this…" Tamiya said, pulling up her most recent photo. It was of Odd, when he was peering through the crack in the door at their surprised faces. The angle of his body had thrust half of it into shadow, and the other in light, his muscled chest and beautiful face alone making it an interesting take. Millie was about to turn away, but an irregularity in the screen caught her eye. In the shadowed side of Odd's body, a perfect circular white mark was visible, right below his collarbone.

"Now _what_," Tamiya said. "Is _that_?"

Millie's eye widened at the significance. "Tamiya…We just got ourselves a scoop."

"WHAT in the name of my left bunny slipper, God bless his soul, are YOU two doing!?" Jim said with feeling, bursting in with suspicion of 'plotting', sending Millie and Tamiya into another round of giggling. He backed out, seeing nothing suspicious besides the camera, and pointed at them. "I've got to go teach a class, but if you two do anything, like secret-mission-like, tell me first, I know people that can help you with that."

"Can you tell us how you met them?" Millie ventured slyly.

"I'd rather not talk about it," Jim said, waving the matter aside and closing the door with a bang.

"Bang..." said Millie.

"Bang..." echoed Tamiya, mirroring her white-face, streaked with worry.

* * *

"Alright," Jim scowled, looking at the group of disorderly sophomores arranged in front of him. "Welcome back to Physical Education. Now, _some _of you might think that I'm here for no good reason, and I'm wasting your time. Well I'm not, and to prove that, we're going to kick off this semester with self-defense techniques."

Odd and Ulrich grinned at each other with a knowing smile and Aelita giggled behind her hand as she realized Jim had been sending icy glares at the two boys during his entire lecture.

"Now, I need two volunteers…" Jim said, looking deliberately at Odd and Ulrich, much to the amusement of Aelita and Jeremy. "What about you two? Step onto the mat and let's see your fighting skills; remember, no dirty shots, and no unnecessary infliction of pain."

Ulrich and Odd stepped up to the mat, and the rest of the class sat in a circle around them. Jeremy leaned over to whisper something to Aelita, a little worried.

"Since when has Kadic endorsed this kind of training?"

"It doesn't," Aelita smirked. "But Jim doesn't intend to make us fight, I don't think. He's just going to have us watch these two duel it out, since he's seen them spar before. Remember GI Jim's commando camp?"

"Don't remind me," Jeremy said with feeling, breathing a sigh of relief at the prospect of not fighting. He had been really worried about the prospect of having to learn self-defense, and on the first day of school too! "So who do you think is going to win?"

"Hm…" Aelita said, tilting her head and pondering his question. "Probably Ulrich, since he does pencak silat, but Odd's got some pretty good endurance and better agility, but no experience in fighting outside of Lyoko."

"Hopefully he doesn't shout 'laser arrow!' during this…" Jeremy groaned.

"Shh!" Sissy shushed, giving them a disapproving stare.

Aelita and Jeremy looked towards the mat, where Odd and Ulrich had taken off their shoes and were circling each other, their battle about to start, to the obvious delight of Jim, who was sitting at the front as giddy as a fan at a wrestling match. Aelita studied the two fully for the first time, noticing Odd's increase in height and his pitiful lankiness compared to Ulrich's obvious gain of muscle.

Ulrich made the first move, circling to Odd's left. Odd didn't give him a chance to flank him anymore, though, sweeping Ulrich's legs out from under his feet and spinning him mid-air to have him land with a surprised thud on his front, pinned to the ground by Odd. After his initial surprise, however, Ulrich did a push-up and Odd, laughing with the unexpectedness of his move, rolled away, each ending up back where they started. With an exuberant cry, they dove back at each other, just enjoying the sport. At one point, Ulrich slammed the heel of his hand into Odd's chest, a fairly painless move, but Aelita noticed that it was met with a faint hiss and an immediate recoil from Odd. Ulrich was more careful after that, as he didn't really want to hurt Odd.

After they were done, and even Jim couldn't make them move any more, Ulrich and Odd just lay there on the mat and heaved giant breaths of air.

"Ok, the homework for tonight is to think about what Ulrich did that worked against _this _idiot," Jim said, grinning evilly and gesturing at Odd with his thumb. "Dismissed!"

Ulrich, despite his fatigue, sprang up and started talking quickly and quietly to Odd, cutting off as Aelita and Jeremy walked up.

"So…Was that worth coming to PE, Odd?" Jeremy grinned, leaning over Odd's face.

Odd shrugged indifferently. "Anything for a laugh."

As he and Ulrich hit the showers, a constant stream of insults about Jim's 'torture' heard by all within range, Odd didn't register the worried looks of Millie and Tamiya, standing by the door, who had come along with the rest of the school to catch a glimpse of the infamous Ulrich Stern sparring with the comical Odd Dellarobbia. The two reporters had seen Odd flinch, and they knew the cause of it. Now they had hard evidence that what they saw was real, and Millie was determined to make it an amazing story.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed it, I had a good chuckle coming up with some bits, but maybe that's just me. I hope you forgive the liberty I took making this chapter as short as it was, but I'm thinking of adding another chapter this week (maybe), so we'll see! Remember, I'll be posting once a week, unless I have time for more. **

**A huge thank-you to everyone who's reviewed this story so far, helping to make it as good as possible. I'd really appreciate any ideas/advice any of you might have, and a HUGE shout-out to **J-Rod67** for coming up with the first character suggestion.**

******Chapter 3 will be out soon!**

* * *

******************(I'll add this every week to remind readers, but I'll be sure to post any important news above, so you regulars can just skip over this)**

******I am ****_going _****to add an original character into this lineup at some point, so please leave a comment to give me your ideas. ****Must ****be a girl, comment ****has ****to include Lyoko power, detail is helpful (eye color, hair color/style, height, complexion, ect) I will post a new chapter here with the fan favorites to let you vote on who should become the new OC, and winner will help me fit them into chapters until I have their correct mindset via PM (accounts are free). I know I used to have quite a large following here, but let's see who remained. Any suggestions are welcome, but I'll only wait a month (December 1) before I design my own OC. **


	3. Chapter 3 -- Revelations

**Hey guys! **Noble Scotsman **here with an AN on my new story from **Code Lyoko. **I focused this chapter a bit more heavily on the Ulrich x Yumi relationship, because I felt that they needed more development; enjoy!**

**Also, I don't know if you've read the epilogue of my other story, **High School Battles, **but I recently updated it containing an actual ending for the story, which also doubles as a prologue to this one. I recommend checking it out to add a bit more mystery to this story; and yes, everything will be eventually explained.**

**So, without further ado, I present you with the third chapter ****of **School of Heroes

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Odd's hands clenched into fists in pain as he stepped into the boy's shower after Ulrich, the hot water hitting his skin like red-hot irons. Ulrich looked back at him, worried, glancing around to make sure there were no other early-morning bathers eavesdropping.

"Is it _that_?" he asked, getting a brief nod from Odd, who didn't trust himself to speak. "Have you told the girls yet?"

Odd stepped out of the shower to respond, leaning against the tiles, their contrast bliss to the hellfire of the shower, a necessary evil. "No, and I don't plan to."

"Why?"

"I just don't think that it's right to complain, or brag, about this sort of thing…" Odd replied, forgetting that shrugging was painful.

"But, Odd…You were shot. I _saw _it, and _I_ went through therapy while you were in the hospital. I can't imagine what _you_ had to go through," Ulrich said, a shadow over his face, watching as Odd's eyes narrowed. "But I still have to ask; why'd you jump in front of that girl?"

Odd tilted back his head and closed his eyes, breathing in the steam that rose from the showers, remembering…

'_Grey…a crowd…shops. A man in black pushing through the crowd…A girl in blue…Running from him? A single gunshot, then the black and white world stained red. After that….Nothing…Just the sensation of flying before the cold reality of the hospital ward…'_

"Odd?" Ulrich said worriedly as Odd's hand flew to his wound in reaction to a memory.

"I'm fine, but…Ulrich, would you have _not_ taken a bullet for her? Even if she was a complete stranger, she was still just a kid."

"The police said the girl you described was a year younger than us, that's not too young," Ulrich said, flexing. "So are we kids too?"

Odd looked him in the eye from his position against the wall. "Ulrich, after all we've been through, would _anyone_ call us children?"

"You're right good buddy," Ulrich said, shutting off the shower and ruffling Odd's hair. "But try to have a better outlook on life, eh? Life's too short to waste our youth. Go and kiss Aelita or something."

Odd grinned darkly. "Don't tempt me, Ulrich."

"Oh come on, you know she's crazy about you."

Odd shook his head, smiling. "What about you, Ulrich? Want to ask Yumi out yet?"

"We're just friends…" Ulrich frowned, suitably admonished.

"Well it's about time you made a move old buddy," Odd said, steeling himself and stepping back into his shower. "Before it's too late; I heard William's back in town."

* * *

It was break, and the Lyoko gang was sitting on their usual benches, watching the flow of students lining up to get an edition of Milly and Tamiya's school paper. Odd was exhausted from the rigors of PE that Jim made Ulrich and him go through, and he was asleep in Aelita's lap. Jeremy and Ulrich were discussing a new game they had played over the summer, Total War, and were getting really in-depth about the best combat strategies. Every now and then, Ulrich would glance over at Yumi tentatively, who was giving him the cold shoulder, and then immerse himself back in Jeremy's conversation. Aelita's mind flashed back to the previous day, when Odd had asked a favor of Ulrich; to tell Yumi that he had promised Milly a date with her little brother.

Aelita smiled as she recalled the reaction Yumi had given at that prospect. To keep it short, it was violent and exasperated at their insensitivity to her little brother's feelings. She had agreed to get Hiroki to do it, as Ulrich had stressed the importance, but was ignoring Ulrich now, much to the latter's disappointment.

Yumi sighed, jumping up and eying Milly and Tamiya's heavily-depleted supply of school newspapers. "I'm going to go get a newspaper; I have a bad feeling that _someone_," she said testily, eying the innocent Ulrich, "might have given them a new scoop on us. Coming, Aelita?"

Aelita gestured helplessly to the lifeless form of Odd, and Yumi flashed a smile. "Got'cha. Be right back…"

As she waited for Yumi's verdict on the newspaper, Aelita absentmindedly stroked Odd's head, grinning as he murmured something in his sleep. Then she noticed something, how he kept all of his weight off of his left side, making sure not to put any pressure on it, even in sleep. It wasn't like Odd to hide an injury from her…Was it?

"I'm baack," Yumi called, throwing herself down next to Aelita, who tried to give her a disapproving stare, but broke out into a grin instead.

"Shh…Don't wake the baby angel."

"I like him better this way…" Ulrich muttered, getting a silent chuckle from those who heard.

"Well, let's see what this 'big news' is, shall we?" Yumi said, ignoring Ulrich and flipping it open to the main story. The others watched with curiosity as she read, unimpressed. Closing it with a huff, she threw it to Jeremy. "It's a bunch of trash; the usual complaints from students, changes to school, and gossip. Nothing serious."

"It also mentions that William has returned…" Jeremy said thoughtfully. "But how they would know that is beyond me."

"We have our sources," Milly said, who had appeared behind them alongside Tamiya holding a notebook. Seeing Odd asleep, Tamiya tried to get a picture, but stopped at Ulrich's glare.

"Uh-uh."

Disappointment spreading across her face, she trudged back to the stack of newspapers, advocating their thoughts to the world. Millie paused for a second, looking at the peaceful face of Odd. She suddenly was thankful they hadn't put the picture in the newspaper, if only temporarily for lack of information. Aelita caught her gaze, and Milly wondered if she knew.

"Is…Is Odd alright?" she asked vaguely.

"I _think_ so…It doesn't seem like anything's wrong…" Aelita said, confused, thoughts flashing back to her earlier premonition. Ulrich's eyes narrowed, though, and he jumped up, grabbing Milly's elbow. A year ago, before Hiroki had transferred from a different middle school into Kadic for the start of high school, this would have made her blush furiously; now it was only a gesture like from any other friend.

"I've got to talk to Milly about something," he said, dragging said female reporter behind him. "I'll catch you guys at lunch."

"See you."

"I wonder what _that_ was about…" Yumi said, frowning after their retreating backs.

"I don't know," Aelita said, exchanging worried glances with Jeremy. "She didn't say anything out of the ordinary, except when she asked about…Odd."

"Does this mean anything?" Yumi demanded, turning to Jeremy, who was looking at their sleeping schoolmate with mild interest, rather like someone looks at an experiment, Yumi thought.

"I don't know…But we shouldn't pester Odd about it, Milly is known for her practical jokes; she's in theater production after all, working with Odd has that effect on people. But if he _is_ injured, how much willpower must he be using to keep himself from faltering and worrying us…Such an intriguing person."

"Maybe so…" Yumi said, trailing off, looking at the peaceful face of their friend. "What I'm more worried about is Ulrich though."

Jeremy and Aelita exchanged knowing looks. "Are you jealous he doesn't spend all his time with you?" she asked innocently, making Yumi blush.

"We're just friends! Or are we…I don't know anymore…" she said, indignant, looking towards the place Ulrich had headed with Millie. "I just don't know…"

* * *

Ulrich turned around as soon as they were inside the dorms, away from the sight of the others. "Ok. You know something about Odd, don't you?"

Milly crossed her arms, huffing. "I should be asking you the same question."

"This isn't a joke, Milly, and you know that, right?" Ulrich said, seeing worry flash across Milly's face at the memory of what she saw.

"I knew it."

"Tell me, Ulrich, please! I want to know if something's wrong with Odd!" Milly cried, grabbing Ulrich, who raised his eyebrow.

"I didn't know you liked him like that."

Milly backed off, disturbed by the thought. "What? No…Odd's been the big brother I never had here, always comforting me, helping me feel better when I was made fun of for being too young. He was…The only one, who came and found me when I was sad, and brought me back to the dorms. I'm sure I caused him a lot of trouble, the girls from my dorm always asking him to find me for them, but he never complained to them, they said, always happy to help, always smiling," she turned to Ulrich, tears in her eyes. "And so I couldn't stand it if that person who had done so much for me was suffering himself! I don't want Odd to feel the way I did…I don't want to lose my big brother…" she looked up at Ulrich, defying him to correct her. "He is a kind person."

Ulrich blinked, fascinated by this side of Odd, one he had never experienced. "I see. Well, it would be easier to explain if you tell me what you know, first."

Milly pulled a journal from her back pocket, flipping it open to a page with the picture of Odd that Tamiya had taken the previous day. "We've both been carrying this around to gather information about Odd," she said, handing it to Ulrich.

Ulrich glanced over it, eyes darkening. "Well…" he said, closing the journal, "You've got pretty much everything, except for the reason; am I correct?"

Milly nodded.

Ulrich leaned in, whispering it in Milly's ear. "It was a girl."

"A girl…Who?" Milly asked, surprised. "Why would a girl shoot Odd?"

Ulrich shook his head, stepping back. "He didn't know her, he had never seen her before in his life, but he still saved her from the...bad men that were chasing her."

"Kidnappers…" Milly said, shocked. "But how did he know? Why did he decide to do whatever he did? He could have been killed, couldn't he?!"

Ulrich shrugged in response. "Who knows, but I think you're right about Odd being a kind person. So I'll let you keep this evidence, as a reminder of his kindness," he said, handing her back her journal, to her complete and obvious surprise. Ulrich's eyes crinkled with silent laughter at her reaction. "I don't think writing an article about something personal like that would be very kind to him, eh?"

"Wait…Ulrich!" Milly said, but he was already out the door, and it was too late to thank him.

* * *

"Hmm…Ok!" Yumi said, slamming her hands down on the table and making the silverware clatter, earning her a disapproving look from Jeremy, Aelita, and Odd, who were in the process of building an 'impenetrable fortress' made out of knives. Thanks to Jeremy's act of dismantling his phone for the team, a spare handful of rubber bands Aelita and Odd kept for a reason only they knew, and a magnet from Aelita's necklace, they even had working catapults made out of spoons and a security pad several times larger than the average human, if drawn to scale.

It was quite impressive, and Jim was in the process of launching bits of potato from his flimsy spoon catapult at them, taking them up on their dare of destruction. The winner would receive an alien fork several times largely proportioned than an average utensil which Rosa had found hiding in an old box somewhere.

The stakes were high.

"I've decided," she said, sitting back with a smirk, completely oblivious to the icy stares one half of the table was giving her.

"What have you decided…?" Ulrich wondered, kicking back his chair so two legs were off the ground. He looked at her with those dark green eyes of his, making her cheeks color with a slight tinge of pink. It made her so angry…The fact that he didn't even know how much he _dazzled_ her. His perfect complexion, his forest-green eyes, even his hair added to his inherent attractiveness; of course, his build didn't hurt either, muscles standing out in sharp definition against his black shirt, hampered only by his army jacket.

Ulrich's eyebrow rose at her silence, "Well?"

Yumi shook her head, clearing it slightly, sending a scattering of scents towards Ulrich. He inhaled, savoring her smell, marveling at how the sunlight danced in her hair like stars amongst the night sky, her delicate features like from some marvelous fairytale instead of real life. It was so unfair, he thought, that something like this can exist so close to me, but always just out of reach.

There's no way I can be meant for, no way to compare to…_this_, the two echoed within each other's minds.

Yumi looked up, and realized that the three other members of their table were leaning forward on their elbows, watching the silent exchange, expectant looks in their eyes. Yumi blushed, and looked away from Ulrich, who didn't seem perturbed in the slightest.

"Yes?" he pushed, unrelenting.

"Well…" Yumi began, very aware of the many pairs of eyes watching her. "I was thinking about your punishment for getting me to blackmail Hiroki into a date…"

"What date!?" an indignant voice said from under the table, bumping the table with its head and earning Yumi another sudden glare from the cafeteria commandos.

Ulrich paused and reached under the table, grabbing two somethings and pulling them out from their hiding place with a squeal. He tossed Johnny aside a little too hard, sending him over a couple tables to land crashing at the feet of a surprised Tamiya.

"I'm ok!" he called, popping back up with a grin. "Let's do that again!"

"Aww, no fair. Why'd you throw Johnny instead of me?" Hiroki pouted, crossing his arms; Yumi glared at him.

"Hiroki," Ulrich started. "How'd you like to go on a date with Milly Solovieff?"

Hiroki stopped struggling and composed himself, suddenly interested. "I'm listening."

"Ok, so here's the deal," Ulrich said, pulling up a chair and pushing Hiroki into it. "We've arranged a date for you and Milly, which is what you've been wanting, isn't it? Listen…" he leaned in. "…There's only so much advice I can give you about girls, like you've been asking me for, now it's all up to you."

"Hmm…Ok," Hiroki said, flashing an impish grin at Ulrich. "But on one condition; that you take my sister to the Tsukimi Mid-Autumn festival next weekend.

Yumi gasped. "Hiroki!"

"Nice move by Hiroki…" Odd said, holding a bucket of popcorn which Rosa had brought out to help them watch Ulrich and Yumi's flirting. It was a strange sight to behold, Odd, Aelita, Jeremy, Jim, and Rosa all sitting across the table from Ulrich and Yumi, just eating popcorn while staring at them.

"You guys are weird," Hiroki said, blatantly crushing the observers' self-esteem, who promptly went back to their cutlery wars.

"Well, Hiroki, can I talk to you for a minute…" Yumi hissed, grabbing Hiroki and moving towards the door.

"No, wait, Yumi," Ulrich said, grabbing her wrist, a faint hue of pink entering both their faces at the contact, much to the incognito observers' delight, and Rosa was back with the popcorn. "I would like that a lot…If you would go to the festival with me."

Yumi blushed a shade or two deeper as his words sunk in. "Um…Well, you see…Um…" she stammered, looking into those impenetrable eyes of Ulrich's, seeing the sincerity in them, and she gazed back with and intensity and longing of her own. "Yes."

"We don't have any classes together today, do we?" Ulrich said, looking at Yumi. Besides their German class they took together, which Ulrich was ahead a year because of his German background, placing him in Yumi's class, he and she shared no other classes. Besides that, they were the same age; Yumi had started school earlier in Japan, though, which led to her being in 11th grade and Ulrich in 10th grade, complicating things.

"Um, no…We don't," Yumi said, thinking about the future with Ulrich subconsciously.

Ulrich flashed her a smile, and the bell rang, right on que. "Then I'll see you tomorrow, Yumi."

* * *

Ulrich flipped his phone closed, the display reading 22:47, as Odd walked through the door, hair dripping wet from the shower he had just taken. Closing the door and flopping down on his bed, he grabbed his new prized fork and a jar of meatballs from underneath his bed, popping open the lid and spearing one.

"It's just the right size!" he said happily, chewing contentedly on his food.

"Hey, Odd…" Ulrich said, absentmindedly.

"Ya?"

"What does it feel like…To be loved by someone?" Ulrich said thoughtfully.

Odd paused, recalling Ulrich's serious father and mother, their last name more appropriate than any other he had known. They were cold, hard businessmen who had put Ulrich through some tough times, he knew. So Odd took his time in responding, coming to an answer when he thought of Aelita, the word coincidence formed by his sensible side dashed aside by his feelings.

"It's like…You've been filled up, and you're overflowing with happiness…" he said, frowning as he tried to explain. "But at the same time, you're a little bit fearful, in case whatever's causing that feeling slips away from your gasp."

Ulrich was silent for a while, and Odd, assuming him asleep, stashed his food away under his bed, the sound of wood on wood echoing as he drew up the framed drawing he had been given. Staring longingly at it for a while, he spoke two words imbued with all his longing silently to the night, wishing her well. And Ulrich was struck by the simplicity, yet absolute sincerity and passion with which Odd spoke them, wondering at the ability in which he was able to express himself; how could he, _Ulrich_, compare his emotions with the depth of Odd's? Even still, as Odd spoke his words, Ulrich silently offered his, simple and clean, to the still, quiet night.

"Goodnight, Yumi."

* * *

**So, yes, I've had extra time this week, so I thought I would post another chapter; I hope you guys liked it.**

**A huge thank-you to everyone who's reviewed this story so far, helping to make it as good as possible. I'd really appreciate any ideas/advice any of you might have. I have a few character suggestions, but I'm going to post them in an AN the first weekend of December for you guys to vote (or not) on, the more we have the better.****  
**

**Chapter 3 will be out soon!**

* * *

**(I'll add this every week to remind readers, but I'll be sure to post any important news above, so you regulars can just skip over this)**

******I am ****_going _****to add an original character into this lineup at some point, so please leave a comment to give me your ideas. ****Must ****be a girl, comment ****has ****to include Lyoko power, detail is helpful (eye color, hair color/style, height, complexion, ect) I will post a new chapter here with the fan favorites to let you vote on who should become the new OC, and winner will help me fit them into chapters until I have their correct mindset via PM (accounts are free). I know I used to have quite a large following here, but let's see who remained. Any suggestions are welcome, but I'll only wait a month (December 1) before I design my own OC.**


	4. Chapter 4 -- Return

**Hey guys, **Noble Scotsman **here with an AN on yet another chapter from **Code Lyoko; School of Heroes. **I apologize for the lateness of this chapter, but I think that I'll try to post another chapter this weekend.**

**I had a bit of trouble writing about their experiences on Lyoko, but I hope it was satisfactory. As with all of my stories, let me know if it's not, and I might re-do said chapter.**

**So, without further ado, I present you with the fourth chapter ****of **School of Heroes.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

It was raining, and the weather did nothing to quench the exuberance of the Lyoko warriors as they trudged through the downpour towards the Factory. It seemed like it had been forever since they were last there, and its smudged outline brought smiles forth from their faces, dripping with the icy raindrops.

Soon they were inside, and Jeremy's sure fingers flew over the keyboard, codes coming to him almost religiously; he was the priest, the Factory was his church, his religion coding. It seemed to take an eternity to those waiting in the scanners, but they finally felt that incompleteness which signaled their transfer to Lyoko. They dropped to the ground lithely and crouched there, baring toothy grins at each other, white teeth flashing identically in the virtual twilight in which the Forest Sector was permanently engulfed. The woody colors felt safe, warm, and the warriors relaxed as they surveyed their surroundings. Aelita was the first to stand, smiling widely.

"We're back!"

The other three grinned and stood up too. Their first moment back was over, and there was no reason to hinder their re-familiarizing themselves with their skills. Lyoko would need them, after all. The _world _would need them.

"So," Odd said, looking around. "What's first?"

"How about you pair up and try using your weapons again?" Jeremy suggested from the Lab, voice echoing throughout the virtual world.

"Sounds good with me," Ulrich said, turning to Yumi. "Yumi and I will pair off first, you two can watch, then we'll switch?"

Odd and Aelita nodded, and walked over to a fallen tree to watch Ulrich and Yumi's duel. Yumi frowned, then took her position at the far end of the clearing.

"Make sure to keep us from devirtualizing each other, Jeremy," Yumi reminded him sternly. "We don't want to leave just yet."

Jeremy rolled his eyes, and pressed a button. "Just be careful. I'll monitor your health for you."

Ulrich nodded. "Ready, Yumi?"

Yumi nodded, and suddenly Ulrich was there, in front of her, sabers drawn and sweeping in a downward arc towards her midsection. She quickly flipped backwards, barely avoiding his attack, and drew her fans. A quick balance check steadied her aim, but Ulrich threw one of his sabers, pinning her fan to the tree. Gasping more out of surprise than pain, Yumi steeled herself and jumped towards Ulrich, other fan extended and razor sharp edges as quick and darting as Ulrich's saber. Their fight was ferocious and fast, speed and agility beyond the likes and abilities of any fighters the observers had ever seen. Yumi could even parry a fast stroke from Ulrich's special speed, to the amazement of all. Their dance, though deadly, was strangely beautiful and intimate, the participants' love showing through their pretenses at last, even if they did not realize it themselves.

As their weapons locked, Yumi looked into Ulrich's eyes with surprise. His eyes were bright with emotion beyond the likes of which Yumi felt she could counter, and she desperately pulled away. Ulrich's last saber twirled away from his grasp, and Yumi jumped back, throwing her fan with a quick flick of the wrist, and it seemed over.

Ulrich had somehow caught the fan, still spinning, in between his palms, though. He flipped the fan shut, then open again, ready to carry on the fight. As they parried again, their weapons now switched, Yumi heard his soft whisper, his quiet reassurance, making her remember everything she had said before, how much she must have hurt him, how much she had hurt herself with those words…How they would never be anything more than friends.

Yumi gasped, spinning around and kicking off of a tree, jumping towards empty space where Ulrich had been a moment ago. She caught a glimpse of Ulrich's concerned face before it blurred, and she slammed into something hard. With a quick glance, she realized that it was Ulrich, and another granted her a view of the Digital Sea, the edge of a cliff inches from the back of Ulrich's boot. He had somehow miraculously been fast enough to save her, and then had the strength to stop her without being knocked in himself.

What had it taken for him to make that split-second decision…What if he had been knocked in himself while trying to save her? Didn't he realize that she could never live with herself if that happened? Didn't he realize that while he calmed himself with the knowledge of her safety, her happiness would slip away if anything ever happened to him?

How selfish you are…Ulrich Stern.

She closed her eyes, and let him hold her. Maybe she would just stay here; maybe he was right, that it _would_ be different from now on.

* * *

Odd and Aelita were dueling now, and Odd was toying with Aelita, much to her chagrin. She was suspended in midair, surveying the tree tops for any sign of movement, when Odd popped out from behind the trunk of a tree behind her, shooting a laser arrow close to her ear, making her spin around. Odd was already gone, though, his laughter booming around the trees as he jumped from tree to tree, branch to branch as his claws let him. Aelita threw up her hands with frustration, and sent an energy ball flying through the trees. Before it had gone more than two meters, however, it burst into a shower of pink sparks, descending beautifully though the trees and resting on Aelita's head and shoulders and littering the ground around Ulrich and Yumi, who were sitting on the makeshift bench together.

Aelita paused, looking at the glittering sparks. _'They're so…colorful…'_

Ulrich caught some on the flat of his blade. They made a clear, pretty note that reminded him of a music box. "Very nice," Ulrich said, clapping appreciatively and sheathing his saber. "I like your flair for the unusual and beautiful, Odd, and of course thank you Aelita for the colors, it was splendid."

Aelita glared at him. "This isn't a joke, Ulrich. I'm going to catch Odd…And then I'm going to-"

"Going to what, Princess?" Odd laughed, jumping out from a tree and putting his arms around her neck carefully so as not to strangle Aelita, even in her Lyoko form. He grinned into Aelita's annoyed face, and she eventually started to smile too, laughing along with the rest of the gang as she and Odd drifted to the ground.

"You two should go out," Ulrich said bluntly, knowing full-well that Jeremy could hear them. It had been an ongoing joke between the five of them for the school year so far, and Jeremy's reaction never failed to impress with its magnitude.

"Ok, you can shoot me now," Odd said, hearing Jeremy draw breath for a possible lecture, and pressed her hands into his head so as to give her an easy headshot. Surprised, she pulled away; disturbed at the thought of hurting Odd, even though she had been jokingly hunting him earlier and the fact that they wouldn't really die on Lyoko.

"He's kidding, Aelita," Yumi whispered to her. Aelita nodded, and froze Odd's feet to the ground instead, making Yumi and Ulrich laugh with delight.

"How about a compromise?" Aelita said tilting her head to the side and looking at Odd rather like someone looks at a statue, fighting to keep herself from grinning. "I'll leave you here forever, and we can visit you, like a vacation."

Odd was about to give a witty response, but froze suddenly, turning into an outline before here eyes, his data returning to the sky like so many pieces of paper carried on the wind. Yumi and Ulrich soon followed, and Aelita glanced around nervously, worried because of Xana's inactivity and the suddenness of her friend's devirtualization.

"Jeremy…" she began, "What's happening?"

"It's all right," Jeremy replied. "We just have a visitor, and I thought that Ulrich and Yumi should be there."

"What about Odd?"

Aelita imagined Jeremy's mouth quivering as he fought back the urge to smirk; she knew Jeremy had been dying to separate Odd and she. "He…Uh, looked like he was having some trouble. You'll see in a second; devirtualization!"

* * *

"Hey, what's going on?" Aelita asked as she came up the ladder. Odd pointed towards where he and Ulrich were glaring, and Aelita suddenly understood.

"…How can you just let him come here?!" Yumi said, gesturing angrily towards the dark figure leaning against the wall near the elevator. "William is no longer welcome here."

Jeremy pushed up his glasses uneasily. "I know, Yumi…But since he's going to be a target for Xana, wouldn't it be better to keep him close to us? 'Keep your friends close and-"

"-Your enemies closer', I know," Yumi said, sighing and stopping to glare at William. "But that doesn't mean that I have to like it. Don't decide things on your own, Einstein."

"He came here on his own," Jeremy said, frowning. "Don't presume I would do this just to spite you, Yumi."

"I'm sorry, really. I should have known full well how sneaky and underhanded he can be."

William didn't say anything, but instead turned his curious gaze from Yumi to Ulrich. "I see…" William said, blinking. Ulrich had a perfect poker face, but he still was new to body language, hardly understandable due to his background. His fists were clenched and his body taught as a bowstring, ready to jump to either defend his friends or attack William, which was really the same thing, in his mind. "Well, I'll leave. I only came to see if you needed any help anyway. I'll see you in class tomorrow…Yumi."

"Looks like I have no choice."

After a few minutes of silence, each member being immersed in their own thoughts, Jeremy cleared his throat, taking off his headset. "I don't think that there's any point with continuing with training for the night…The fun's been ruined anyway, we'll try again tomorrow."

The others nodded and walked towards the elevator, but Jeremy spoke up again. "That said, we need somebody to watch him for us, any volunteers? How about Yumi, she's done it before."

Yumi looked indignantly at him. "Are you serious? I don't want to be anywhere _near _him!"

"Well, you _are _the most practical choice…" Ulrich began, slamming his fist into the red elevator button.

"But Ulrich-" Yumi began desperately. She didn't know why she was panicking, was it because she was scared that Ulrich would get the wrong idea about William and she?

Ulrich smiled at her with a somewhat strained smile. "It's only temporary…Besides, we're still going to the festival, aren't we?"

Yumi blushed. "Oh."

"Aelita, how would you like a charming, handsome, princely man to walk you back to your dorm?" Odd said, turning to Aelita and winking, not wanting to disturb Ulrich and Yumi's reverie.

"You guys talking about me over there?" Jeremy called out from behind the holosphere, not resisting a chance to express his newfound sense of humor.

"Of course, Einstein."

Aelita giggled. "Well, you're certainly princely, Jeremy, but I think I'll have to count on my fine American friend for this walk…I know you wanted to get some work done on the new vehicles."

Jeremy sighed and agreed with her, waving to them somewhat dejectedly as the elevator doors closed.

* * *

Outside the Factory, Ulrich and Odd separated as each walked their respective partners home. It was a clear night, a full moon, and Ulrich could clearly see Yumi's small smile as he put his arm around her to keep her warm until she was home. It was late September, and the air was starting to get colder. It wouldn't be long until Christmas…Only three short months away, Ulrich thought. Which begged the question, what was Yumi to him? He promised himself that he would know by Christmas, but until then, this was enough, to be close to her, to know she's ok, to assure her happiness…

_'How happy they are,'_ Aelita thought, looking after Ulrich and Yumi's retreating backs. '_I wonder when they'll realize that.'_

Aelita thought about the two as Odd turned them towards Kadic. If there was something to tell about Ulrich, it would be his chivalry, she decided as they passed by the place where Ulrich had tackled a police car last year when he and Odd had thought the real world was Lyoko. He's always there for Yumi, even when she doesn't want him. He stands up for the weak, the bullied, and he's loyal to both his friends and his family. His love is unrequited, and he doesn't do anything to force a decision on Yumi. Her culture dictates that he make the first move, but his nature dictates that he must know for certain first so that he does not hurt her in the process.

What a confusing couple…how impossible.

But then, isn't Odd sort of chivalrous in his own ways? He isn't lordly like Ulrich, not as refined, but altogether as noble. He's the sort of guy who would jump in front of a stranger to take a bullet for them if they were in trouble, Aelita thought with satisfaction, thinking of an extreme case.

Her thinking had taken up all the time walking with Odd, unfortunately, and now back in her room, Odd's glistening smile once again on her mind, Aelita saw a package under her pillow. Opening it, she was amazed at the artistry and detail. It was a rose…_her_ rose, the one she had drawn, redrawn in black and grey pencil. Its detail was amazing, but its shadow was a work of art in its own right, too, all the colors of the rainbow swirling together in a river of color, easy to look at, and fun to examine. At first glance, the background seemed white, but upon closer inspection revealed the surface of a shallow pool of water, in which the rose was residing. Very faintly, so that you had to be looking at it under just the right light, there was the reflection of a person, bending over the pool of water so as to smell the rose; his blonde hair was reminiscent of Odd's.

Aelita smiled, and took a picture frame off of the wall, removing the simple sheet of pink paper set as decoration. She replaced this with the picture and stood back to admire it, making her gasp at the final aspect which she had failed to notice up close. From afar, the rose transformed into a portrait, a perfect picture of Aelita herself. Her eyes were colorless, but her lips were colorful, her cheeks rosy. Aelita's spirits faltered. Was this what she looked like? Wasn't something missing? Where had the color gone from her eyes?

Her eyes refocused back on the resemblance of Odd, and she noticed the colorless pallor of his lips, his grey cheeks, before her eyes came to rest on his. They were full of life, mirth, the only detailed part of him. They were blue like Odd's, but also a hue of green, like Aelita's. Suddenly she understood.

"I promise…" she said, sitting down on her bed. "To _see_ all the colors in the world. To see them with all the excitement and mirth with which you do…Odd. But only if I see them with you...I want you to show me…Help me _see…_"

* * *

**So, yes, William is back. Surprise!**

**A huge thank-you to everyone who's reviewed this story so far, especially **WriterChic6**, **NKcandygirl, **and **Lord of Tuft, **helping to make it as good as possible. I'd really appreciate any ideas/advice any of you might have. A huge thank you to **sardellihalas, J-Rod67, and Raiden Tachibana R-117 **for the character reviews, which I will post at the bottom, even though it's not December yet. Chances are that I will combine a few with my own ideas, but that's only a possibility. Great suggestions all, remember to review with which one you think would add to this story, and remember to compliment the authors on their creativity.**

**Also, character reviews are still welcome until this new OC arrives in the story, so please feel free to continue posting!**

**Chapter 5 will be out soon.**

* * *

**Character suggestions.**

sardellihalas

**-Name: Scarlett Annabella Jeffer**  
**Age: 13**  
**Looks: Shee wears almost just like Odd but again the purple is aqua and the**  
**pink is purple. Her blonde hair is just like Sissi but with some aqua**  
**highlights running in her hair. Personalty: She is funny like Odd but when need is just like Aelita and Ulrich. Power and costume: She has Aelita's first power and Odd's laser arrows. She**  
**looks like Odd but the purple is aqua and the photo nothing.**

J-Rod67

**Katherine "Kat"**  
**Powers: Bow and arrow with different options of types of arrows like electric or fire or ice.**  
**Looks: Darkn brown hair with light brown highlights, natural curly hair often in a pony tail , tan complexion almost Mexican like, Hazel eyes, short for her age, likes to dress in all the different clothings like stuff from a thrift store.**

Raiden Tachibana R-117

**Raiden**

**Raiden wears a Blood Red WWII army jacket with Black highlights, hair is black with Red stripes, black pants, red shoes, a red Bandana above eyes... that is what it should look like...****powers are can copy anything he finds in the internet. I have two personalities for him...your choice.****  
**

**1: always happy and can't be broken down, and dances everywhere...**

**2: dark and quiet but very helpful... and hates fallowing the crowd...**


	5. Chapter 5 -- Festival

**Hi guys, **Noblescotsman** here with an AN on my newest chapter from **SoH.

**I really had fun writing this chapter, and I took the liberty of making it primarily UlrichxYumi, hopefully to your enjoyment. I would like to apologize beforehand to any readers of Japanese origin, as I am not entirely familiar with your customs and language, except for the dismal amount that I have seen in anime, but I tried my best.**

**Keep in mind that Odd and Aelita still have the most important parts in this chapter.**

**So, without further ado, I present you with the fifth chapter of **Code Lyoko: School of Heroes**!**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Milly glanced nervously at the address on the house and back at the small white slip of paper in her hand, Hiroki's untidy scrawl illegible except to a journalist such as herself, her profession self-proclaiming her as a master of the untidy scrawl. This _had_ to be the house.

The red and gold leaves slowly drifted down from the trees as Milly pursed her lips, hesitant. What if this _wasn't _the right house, though? What would she say? What would the reason be for her being there? It didn't matter, she decided, bracing herself and stepping through the gate and up the porch stairs, her knock on the wooden doorframe echoing in her head more ominously then a good luck charm should be. She waited politely a few minutes, and then knocked again, hearing movement inside. The door was opened by a middle-aged Japanese man, his spectacled face still rife with boyish attitude.

"Can I help you?" he asked pleasantly, smiling warmly.

Milly blushed. This was the wrong house.

"Um, no, sir, I was just wondering…Um…Could I have an interview?" Milly asked suddenly, pulling her notebook from her bag in a fluid movement that came from years of repetition. The man scratched his chin, confused, and then shrugged.

"Ok, sure, go ahead. Who are you representing, by the way?"

"Oh, um, Kadic Academy for the Arts."

"What a coincidence, my two children attend that school. Yumi! Hiroki! Do you know this girl?" the man shouted back into the house.

"The total populace of Kadic is one thousand two hundred and ninety-three students, not counting any transfer students so far…" a bored voice called from inside, rattling off statistics. "How are we supposed to know everyone who goes there?"

"Oh…Ok then, Hiroki."

"Um…" Milly said nervously, putting her notebook away. So this _was_ the right house…How embarrassing.

The man raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were going to interview me?"

"Oh, um, you see, I thought that I had the wrong house, then it turned out to be the _right _house, and-" Milly stammered incoherently.

"Milly? Is that you?" A second voice called from inside, emerging into the light of the doorway, revealing Yumi's curious face. "It is you. Dad, why are you keeping Milly at the door?"

Mr. Ishiyama splayed his hands innocently. "I don't understand anything that's going on…"

"Come on, Milly. Ulrich's in the back with Hiroki," Yumi said, shaking her head at her misunderstood father and dragging Milly by the hand though the hallway. Milly sighed with relief as she noticed that the warmth did not go out of Mr. Ishiyama's eyes as she passed him, but his guarded expression took on a more curious look.

"So…" Milly said, looking over Yumi's shoulder as she was led through the house. "What are Ulrich and Hiroki doing out back?"

Yumi suddenly grinned, and winked at Milly, worry prevalent in her eyes amongst her mirth. "Shh, you'll see," she said, leading Milly over to the back porch, where a Mrs. Ishiyama sat, an Othello board in front of her, resting pointedly on a table. She held a small disk in her hand, white on one side, black on the other, and was twirling it through her fingers, obviously deep in concentration.

"How's it going?" Mr. Ishiyama said seriously, sitting down next to her. "Are we winning?"

Mrs. Ishiyama made a faint hissing noise with her tongue, and shook her head. "He's too good…" she said quietly, so that only her husband and the two girls watching could hear. "I have no idea how he's doing this…Hiroki can be mad at times, but taking up his challenge and actually _passing_ is a notable feat indeed…"

Milly's eyes now rose from the unfamiliar game board to the small grassy backyard, a foot below the raised wooden porch. Another Othello board lay on the grass, set up the same as Mrs. Ishiyama's, and Hiroki stood next to it...On top of Ulrich. Ulrich was in a push-up position, Hiroki standing on his back, the board below him. He was doing push-ups as he waited for Mrs. Ishiyama to decide a move, sweat rolling down his face in rivets, not appreciating Hiroki's extra weight.

"Hmm…" Mrs. Ishiyama said, tapping her chin. Ulrich continued with his grueling task. "B2," she finally said, flipping over a few disks from white to black as she laid her disk down.

Ulrich let out a gasp as Hiroki shifted his weight, and Yumi's eyes flickered worriedly to him. Ulrich was now doing one-handed push-ups, a disk of his own poised in his free hand over the board, shaking with exhaustion. He set it down, and slammed his hand back down to steady himself against the ground, still doing push-ups. "F5."

Mrs. Ishiyama's brow furrowed again, and she turned over the pieces which Ulrich had taken with a small round of cursing of the makers of the game. Milly turned to Yumi, eyes still on the suffering form of Ulrich, a smug Hiroki on his back.

"So, what _was_ the challenge, anyway?"

"Ulrich beat Hiroki in Othello pretty soundly…" Yumi began, glaring at her younger brother. "And then he challenged Ulrich to play our mom, while doing push-ups with Hiroki on his back. He's been doing this for almost 15 minutes now…He's not going to last much longer."

But Ulrich did last longer, taking longer to complete each push-up, though. He placed his last disk on the board gently, whispering his play to Hiroki, and slumped to the ground, too tired to do anything else. Hiroki worriedly jumped off of him, and checked the board, letting out a low whistle and shaking his head.

"He did it. He beat mom."

Yumi ran over to Ulrich's side, and cradled his head in her lap as her parents slumped back in their chairs, impressed beyond belief. Milly's hands itched for a camera.

"Ulrich! Are you ok?" she asked, checking his pulse and wiping his forehead.

Ulrich let out a low chuckle, taking deep breaths. "Look at you, worried over this. It's not like I'm dying you know."

"You can never tell with you."

"Yes, well I think I might have stopped if I was going to die."

"You're so stubborn."

"Hm."

"And selfish," Yumi said, getting on a roll.

"Aha."

Yumi was going to say more, but she looked in his eyes and stopped, choking on the fake insult. She touched her forehead to his, and Ulrich thought he was delirious as he heard her compliment.

"But don't _ever_ change."

* * *

Ulrich slumped happily in the bath. Hiroki and Mr. Ishiyama had already bathed and dressed for the festival, Ulrich insisting that the hosts have priority, and now it was finally his turn. He scrubbed his sweaty limbs roughly, determined to cleanse himself both mentally and physically from the scars of Hiroki's challenge.

Hiroki's challenge…Why had he agreed to it? Was it because Yumi was there? No, he didn't need to prove anything to her, Lyoko had been enough. It wasn't because he was cocky though…Was it something that he needed to do; to prove himself to Mr. and Mrs. Ishiyama? That must be it…

Now clean, he slid out of the bath lithely, his figure slim but muscled, muscles defined, but not extreme. As he dressed in his yukata, frowning as he tried to remember the technique Mr. Ishiyama had taught him a few minutes ago, he thought about his relationship with Yumi, catching sight of a small purple flower near the window that reminded him of her. It was simple to look at, but on closer inspection each petal was intricately designed, petite veins layering the surface with their minute amount of color, adding a spider-web look to the already pretty flower.

Yumi…

He had feelings for her; definitely. But were his feelings returned…He didn't know. Before he could take any action, however, he needed to convince her parents of his worth. He didn't need to consult his parents, they would disapprove of anything not planned by them anyway. He had told them that he had no interest in women right now, which had cancelled the marriage interviews his father set up with other prestigious families, trying to increase the Stern family's power, no doubt. Any signs that he was interested in Yumi could be disastrous.

It's always about power…

Born and raised a simple life in the German countryside, his father had become a successful millionaire, somewhat due to his arranged marriage to his rich wife. From then on, he acted as if he was born a noble, and treated everyone distantly, concerning himself with only trying to increase his status in society, blocking out everything but money, even his own son. It had been Ulrich's choice to attend Kadic, much to his father's chagrin, and only the looming sense of disapproval radiating from his father when he came to lecture Ulrich personally could get him to leave his school for any extended period of time.

Ulrich opened the door, fully dressed, his brow furrowed as he thought about his father, and stopped in surprise. The grinning faces of Hiroki and Milly awaited him, and they yanked on his arms, dragging him out the front door to where Yumi was waiting, wearing her purple and red yukata both naturally and beautifully. Ulrich smiled at her, _this _was his home now, not the cold, empty halls of his father's estate in Germany. _This _is where he wanted to be, in good company with good friends. He would never wear his status on his chest with pride like his father, forcing others to recognize him. He would earn their respect without the help of money, without power.

He would never become his father.

* * *

"Wow…It's so beautiful!" Milly cried happily, waving her arms over her head with excitement. Her blue yukata brought out the color in her usually dark red hair, and her face was already red with excitement and the chill of the evening. The other three looked where Milly was looking. Night was just falling, and they were on the grassy promenade near the river. Everywhere you looked was bright paper lanterns and couples in yukatas. Ulrich was temporarily overwhelmed, blinking to fully comprehend what he was seeing.

It was the Tsukimi Mid-Autumn festival.

_So many colors…I didn't know the world had this many…_

Milly grabbed Hiroki's hand, grinning from ear to ear, and ran off through the festival happily. Ulrich bowed to Yumi, and offered his hand.

"Shall we go too, Yumi-chan?" he said, his eyes warm, his smile genuine at his correct usage of an honorific.

Yumi's eyes were bright as she took his hand, her usual barriers between herself and the world down, fully experiencing the moment. For the first time, Ulrich saw her truly excited, and he committed the picture to his memory, determined to make her wear that happy face again.

The rest of the night turned into a happy blur, as Ulrich and Yumi enjoyed the festival. It was rather like a marvelous enchantment that fell over them, until colors seemed to blend together into the most perfect shades of euphoria, the dark stream creating a perfect contrast between the bright and happy stalls and the cool and solemn river. In-between the gaps in his memory, he remembered eating a candy apple as Yumi ate melon bread, her face set in the same fashion as Odd's usually was when experiencing Rosa's spaghetti.

Her favorite food.

He remembered dancing beneath a raised platform, spinning and twirling unlike any dance of this world, feeling more elfin then human, the miraculous stories of their woodland feastings prevalent in his mind. He remembered dancing with Yumi, mirroring her moves perfectly as others watched without seeing what Ulrich saw, the admiration and longing in her eyes for him.

Her favorite.

He remembered kneeling by the river as an armada of small boats, laden with paper lanterns and incense that sparkled in the moonlight, were released by the participants of the festival, Yumi across from him as they held their boat together, ready to release it. Her eyes reflected the lights, colors dancing as if a few thousand fireflies had somehow merged with the all the colors of her eyes. In the candlelight by moonlight, they sparkled black, then red, suddenly purple before blue, a tint of green, a steely orange, then a soft grey, repeating again in a hypnotic way. Beauty.

Her.

He remembered carrying Hiroki and Milly back to the Ishiyama household; Milly would stay the night since it she was so exhausted, and going back for Yumi, who had stayed behind to see the remaining lanterns go out. Too tired to walk, but still a happy smile on her face, she allowed Ulrich to carry her the mile-long journey to her house on his back. Faintly, almost like a dream, he remembered the touch of her lips on his cheek, a quiet thank you, and soft footsteps on the porch.

Yumi.

* * *

Across town, on the roof of Kadic Academy, William slumped against a chimney, hand trailing circles on the tiles within his reach. His expression blank, he thought about his life dejectedly.

He didn't care about Ulrich anymore…Not about Lyoko, not even about Yumi. His time with Xana had made him realize something…That it didn't matter. Nothing mattered…Nothing at all. Life wasn't worth living, but it wasn't worth dying either, so he had reached a compromise in his isolation with Xana. He was already dead, his body an unmoving, unseeing corpse. He was entirely devoid of color…And he saw in black and white.

He was…a _ghost with no place_ to exist… A non-existent _phantom_ in the world of the living.

Just like Xana.

* * *

Odd gasped in pain as he did a push-up off of the wall, grabbing his wound with his hand. He had been steadily increasing his endurance and the angle of his push-ups for about a month now, but it had become almost routine for Ulrich to wake up in the middle of the night and see Odd leaning against the wall with pain, his exercise attempts futile against the measure of his wound.

Unclenching his hand from his side, Odd saw a trickle of red run down his body like a ribbon, following the contours of his body like some royal garment unfitting and unbecoming for mortals. Half-sighing, half-wincing, Odd dabbed at the blood, and lay down on his bed.

It had been his decision to call Ulrich, Odd thought. It was his decision to let this happen. And it was his decision to not let his friends know, for their good and for his own. They didn't need to know about the incident…Which would lead to questioning of his other carefully kept secret.

No. It was better that they didn't know. Only Ulrich could possibly understand.

Nobody should know.

* * *

Aelita sighed with pleasure as she finished her homework for the next week, leaning back and tracing the shadows on her ceiling. She looked at the clock; 10:10, she still had a few hours before she would get tired, maybe she would-

Her thoughts were disturbed by a sudden knock on her door, and the rustling of paper as something slid under her door. She ran to the door and looked out, seeing a girl in a pink hoodie disappear into one of the rooms on farther down the corridor. She considered going after the perpetrator, but decided against it, shrugging. Looking back around, she picked up the piece of paper, which was actually a photo, and closed her door. Throwing herself down on her bed, she flipped on her reading light to see the picture, and regarded it skeptically.

It was the silhouette of a guy peering through a crack in a door. The angle of his body had thrust half of it into shadow, and the other in light, his muscled chest and beautiful face alone making it an interesting take. In the shadowed side of his body, a perfect circular white mark was visible right below his collarbone. Aelita's eye widened as she realized who this was, and what it meant.

'_Odd…What happened to you…'_

* * *

**I hope it was satisfactory. I am going to take the liberty to skip ahead three months in the next chapter so as to post my Christmas chapter in conjunction with Christmas...Which I thought is usually a good idea.**

**Once again thanks to everyone who reviewed, especially **UNSC Spirit of Fire .

**Chapter 6 will be out soon!**


	6. Chapter 6 -- Snowfall

**Hey guys, **Noble Scotsman** here with an AN on my newest chapter from **SoH**.****  
**

**I had difficulty writing this chapter...Creating a good transitioning chapter to get you, as readers, to feel winter was in the air. Aside from that, there is a major plot point which I need to emphasize, review and tell me if you understood what it was.**

**So, without further ado, I present you with the sixth chapter of **Code Lyoko: School of Heroes!

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Aelita sighed as she breathed out the cool winter air, her breath misting the air in front of her like the incarnation of her frustrations.

It was mid-December, and winter had finally arrived for the students at Kadic Academy for the Arts. The past three months had passed quickly for the Lyoko warriors, and Aelita had found it hard to find time to talk to Odd about the mysterious picture she had received.

Now that her eyes had been opened to Odd's suffering, whatever it was, she had watched him carefully. How he held himself carefully even when standing still, being careful not to shift weight onto his left side. How he always concealed his slips with a laugh and a smile. How he waved off his problem to help others when they came to him looking for aid. How he could no longer do PE without a noticeable strain, causing even a perplexed Jim to ease up on his rigorous regimen. How he barely finished his food nowadays, smiling politely as he set down his silverware, gazing longingly at the remainder of the meal. How Ulrich was constantly by his side, worry barely disguised. Despite her hesitation, the answer had become obvious.

Ulrich knew.

And Odd was getting worse.

* * *

Odd grimaced at the youth he saw in front of him. Slight though muscular, the boy's sunken face grimaced back at him, his skin pale as a statue. Despite his look, bright blue-grey eyes sparkled with a brilliance that only comes to those lucky enough from years of laughter, his teeth a pearly white gem to compliment his face, his hair pale, no longer luscious, but still soft and easy to look at. Ulrich walked up and put his elbow on Odd's shoulder, another comforting the youth similarly in front of them.

"It's bad."

"It's not that bad…" Odd said, wincing as his left side stretched from the minute weight of Ulrich's elbow on his right.

"We can't keep this up much longer, Odd," Ulrich said, glancing at Odd's poor reflection.

"Hm."

"Odd."

"Ya?"

"Have you looked around our place recently?" Ulrich said, a forlorn look coming into his eyes. Seeing Odd's confused face, he walked over to the mirror drawer and opened it, showing an assortment of make-up items. "We can't keep trying to make you look healthier, even if we had Sissy's help. Besides, _that_ is impossible now," Ulrich said angrily, itching to take Odd to a hospital, but knowing why he couldn't.

Odd glanced at his left side, hesitantly taking away his hand, which had been hiding the worst of his injury. Before, when he had just come back from summer break, it had been a small, circular white scar on his left side, front and back, but it had blossomed into a flower, its red and black petals beckoning the coming of something greater. Odd touched each bruise, wincing with each one, and tried moving his arm; his new exercise since he was incapable of push-ups, even off of the wall. A trickle of blood appeared around the edges of the center of the flower, now red from its saturation.

Ulrich looked Odd in the eyes, pressing him for answers. "Why?"

Odd grabbed his shirt off of his bed, thankful for its purple color once again. Pulling it on carefully, he grabbed his textbooks and positioned his arm in a natural position, wincing at each touch, and smiled at Ulrich again.

"Really, it's not as bad as it looks. Besides, you're already doing too much."

Without another word, Odd walked out of the door, cheerful grin already on his face, working to conceal his condition for another day, another day with his friends, the people he loved.

"No…_You_'_re _the one doing too much, Odd…" Ulrich said sorrowfully as he watched Odd go. "I only wish that you would let me do more…"

* * *

William was on the roof again.

It was cold outside, but William preferred the soft embrace of the winter chill against his skin to the meager barrier of his fabric hood. The chimney was warm against his back, so he wasn't cold, but the warmth still hadn't reached his eyes. The light was failing, and the distorted skyline was rapidly advancing on him and the closing school day at Kadic Academy.

William didn't attend classes, he only showed up on test days and scored perfectly. It wasn't that he had to study, it was his time with Xana which had given him the answers, and none of the teachers pestered their expressionless student to attend anymore. They were like him…

Uncaring.

Unseeing.

Unknowing.

William sighed as he overlooked the grey and black scenery below. What an empty place…Entirely devoid of color. Partially due to the coming of night, it was aided more entirely by the presence of winter, and created an empty wasteland to William's eyes.

Below, lights flickered on, and students started pouring out from their classrooms, the lit windows squares of white pouring forth into the gloom. William's eyes found Yumi, waiting for Ulrich probably. How warm she looked, nervous but happy. It had been three months since the festival, and they had barely gone on any other dates. Were they going out? That would be interesting…But not worth his attention, not anymore.

'_Nothing means anything to me anymore_...' he thought, tilting his head back and watching the movements of the grey clouds as they twisted and turned around each other.

Something caught his gaze as it drifted through the sky, sparkling and shining like a diamond in the remainder of the light. It drifted slowly and calmly, spreading an aura of well-being in William's heart for the first time in months as he observed it. It came to rest gently, and slowly, in his outstretched hand, its cold touch reminiscent of his heart. It melted, the perfect crystal spreading clean, pure water across his hand, and William almost smiled at the symbolism.

Snow had come to Kadic.

Caught up in a spontaneous whim, William stood up, the snowflakes swirling heavier around him, Jack Frost biting at his nose. His unzipped trench coat swirled with a sudden gust, and he headed down the ladder, wishing to see the snow from town.

It was his first want, wish, since coming back from Lyoko.

* * *

Ulrich frowned as he looked up into the swirling clouds, his shoulders dusted with the light snowfall. The cold would make Odd even more uncomfortable, and there was even the danger of snowballs now…

Suddenly, someone grabbed his arm, and he looked at the petite pinkette in surprise. Her eyes were lowered, gaze obscured by her hair, but her grip was firm upon his arm.

"Hey…Aelita. Is something wrong?" Ulrich said uncertainly, attempting a reassuring smile in the greyscale evening light.

"Ulrich…" Aelita said, eyes still obscured by her hair, "I…I would like to know."

"About what? Jeremy's at the Factory, if that's what you mean."

She shook her head, and Ulrich shrugged. "Then I'm sorry, I don't know what you-"

Aelita swept her gaze upward, emotion brimming in her eyes. "What do you know about Odd…?!"

Ulrich took a step back, surprised, his expression guarded, his body taught.

"Don't play dumb, Ulrich…Don't be silly…" Aelita said, letting go and turning away. "You've seen Odd…You _know _what's wrong…Don't you?"

Ulrich sighed, and his shoulders slumped. "I should have known that we couldn't hide it forever…" he said, running his fingers through his hair. "Especially from you."

Aelita didn't say anything as he spoke, but stood there in the falling snow silently, wanting to know.

Ulrich debated with himself for a minute internally, then came to a decision. "You know about Odd having to go last year, you know, leave Kadic, right?"

"Yes, but he came back. He said his parents were ok with him going."

Ulrich shook his head mournfully. "His parents wanted him to attend an arts production school in California, you know, the United States. They weren't going to pay for his tuition for Kadic anymore…"

He breathed in deeply, closing his eyes, remembering.

"I was in Germany at the time…When I got Odd's call. He said he was in Scotland…In hospital."

Aelita didn't move.

"He sounded bad.

"When I got there…They told me that Odd had been…_Shot_…While walking in Glasgow," Ulrich paused as Aelita sucked in a breath of air through her teeth. "The bullet had ricocheted off of Odd's rib cage, and it was trapped inside. They had removed the bullet, but Odd wouldn't be released for a few months, after questioning and healing."

"But why was Odd…shot…" Aelita asked in a small voice.

Ulrich shook his head, starting towards the Factory, Aelita trailing behind him. "You'll have to ask Odd…I can only tell you a summary of the events. On his request, I smuggled Odd out of the hospital in time for the beginning of the Kadic year, and _borrowed _some of my parents' money to let him attend Kadic."

Aelita looked at Ulrich with surprise. "Then his parents…?"

"…Think he's still in hospital, but been moved to Germany for protection. His release date is the day second semester begins."

Aelita's mouth opened and closed in shock, the news reverberating inside her head painfully. To think Odd had been hurt like that, still wanted to return to Kadic, and been hiding all this new the whole time…It was unthinkable. Nobody else would have done it, certainly not her. The effort and stress must have been unbearable…

Why had he done it?

Ulrich too, Aelita thought suddenly, has made enormous sacrifices. I know his parents don't just let him borrow money like that…So how much came out of his own savings? All of it? How much time and effort did he go to so that the rest of us wouldn't worry about Odd, who would rather be with us then his family?

Why had he done it?

Aelita shook her head in confusion, so many questions left unanswered.

* * *

William walked through the spots of light and darkness, the streetlights barely noticeable through the snow, which came thick and heavy now. It muffled all sound and stuck to things, coating everything with a layer of white, of purity. The cobbled French street felt good beneath his feet, and he wandered aimlessly, listening to the quiet snowfall and letting his feet guide him.

He eventually came upon a fountain in the middle of a small square, running merrily amongst the quiet created by the snow, out of place in this world of silence. William stood there as the snow fell around him, listening to the slowing of the fountain as it froze over, the square peaceful and still. He looked up to the heavens, expectation in his eyes, and his body felt cleaner, _better_ for the snow, the night air.

He wished it was always winter.

Winter was pure, winter was good. It covered up everything with a layer of white and brought everyone closer together. It was a world of black and white, clear and defined, where William didn't need to question himself to take a stand.

The snow fell silently.

Suddenly, William felt some arms around his waist, and he felt the soft embrace of another person hugging him tightly. Not knowing who it was, and not caring, he stood there, caught up in the affectionate embrace of an unknown stranger.

The snow fell silently.

William moved, and the figure released him, not moving away, though. He turned around, laying eyes on a girl Aelita's age standing behind him, her deep brown hair highlighted with teal, the hair barely reaching her shoulders. She wore black jeans and an old dark green sweater, the flag of Germany on one shoulder, the British flag on the other. She wore gloves that cut off at the finger joints, one black and one white, and her shoes were different colors, one pink and one blue. William took all this in, and examined her shadowed face, liking what he saw there.

It was a caring face.

The girl raised her face from the shadows, luminescent purple eyes meeting William's own and seeming to reflect every color of the rainbow, even in the unvarying snowlight.

"You are alone," she said simply. It wasn't a question. Turning, she walked away; the sound of her boots muffled in the snow, and turned a corner without a backwards glance.

The snow fell silently.

* * *

Odd looked up at the swirling snowflakes with delight as they swirled and blew in the night. He was almost at the Factory, making his way down some stairs which had quickly been coated over with a thin layer of ice. Ulrich would probably yell at him for going, but it was for a good cause.

Odd stepped down.

It was nice to have snow again, everything about it made you feel good.

Odd stepped down.

The color, the feel, the things you could do with it! Skiing, snowball fights, snowmen! It brought people closer together, either around a fire or out having fun, and filled snow-goers with a sense of wholesomeness. Everyone just drops worries and has good fun in snow.

Odd stepped down.

What about his condition though, both physically and school wise? Was it for the best him returning to Kadic? His parents wouldn't understand…Whatever happens, though, he would try to have as much fun as possible before being dragged back to America.

Odd stepped down, and slipped on the ice, lurching to his left. Forgetting his injury, he tried to catch himself, and heard a cracking sound, followed by a series of muffled thumps, noise distorted by the snow. Then, magically, he was at the bottom. Staring up at the night sky, Odd saw a break in the clouds, out to the heavens, and caught a glimpse of the stars through the snowfall.

'_Ah, the snow…How beautiful…' _he thought to himself, feeling a pleasant surge of warmth. Closing his eyes, he thought of Aelita, and a smile came fleetingly to his lips as he understood.

The snow fell silently.

* * *

**So how was it? Let me know...I think I restructured and rewrote this chapter five different times...If it's unsatisfactory, remember I always try to post a better version over the old one, so just let me know! And yes, it pains me too to have Odd hurt so much...I would really rather he didn't.**

**Special thanks to **CodeLyoko - Writer, RascalKat, EccentriclSuperchick and ShadowOdd** for their great reviews! Check out their stories sometime.**

**A shout out to an anonymous reader for the simply _amazing _character suggestion...Which fit in perfectly with the idea I was forming in my head of the OC. The winner has been decided, the character cast, and I would like to announce the name of the character;**

**Eren Pietch**

**Chapter 7 will be out soon!**


	7. Chapter 7 -- Rose

**Hey guys,** Noble Scotsman** here with a new chapter from **SoH**.**

**Like the previous chapter, this was finicky to write, and even now I'm not sure that I placed all the words that I wanted to in the correct sequence, or if I'm missing something. Therefore, I was incredibly hesitant to upload this chapter...But I thought it was a safe bet since it's a transitional chapter. This is** **one**** of the three ****major plot turning points in this story, so I hope you have some speculation about what's coming next. **

**If this chapter is unsatisfactory, just let me know, and I'll attempt to rewrite it.**

**So, without further ado, I present to you chapter seven of **School of Heroes**!**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Odd was drifting; unsure of his state of being…Was he unconscious? Or…Was this death? No, it couldn't be, could it?

He could feel his body…His head laying against the hard ground, something cold, small, and delicate pelting his skin with the delicacy of an angel's kiss. Was this…the snow? He remembered snow…The fun he used to have in it as a child, its color whiter than a moonlit sandy beach, whiter than the fur on an arctic fox, whiter even than the pallor of death. Oh the colors of his life…Where had they gone? Washed away with this pale, cruel white, they disappeared like the dew on the morning leaves, leaving behind only their nourishment for those around him. His personality was once again blank, white like the canvas of a mere inkling of a masterpiece.

But…What is white?

Is it snow? Is that really all there is to it?

What _is _white?

He felt soft hands picking up his tired head from where it lay, their gentleness unmatched in his memories, save one. Placing his head in a warm, kneeling lap, the hands proceeded to groom his hair and clothes methodologically, stroking his hair once they were done.

Mustering his willpower, Odd opened his eyes, and saw the silhouette of a girl against the dark sky, snow falling thickly and beautifully. His eyes widened, then returned to normal, his gaze on the sky as the snow descended silently. His head comfortable, the rest of his body numb from cold, Odd gazed with timeless longing at the snow, a confused expression on his face.

"What…Is white?" he asked quietly. The girl stopped stroking his hair, and a small smile flashed across her lips, quickly gone but unmistakable there.

"You idiot…"

Odd didn't say anything, but concentrated on breathing, a pain creeping into his chest as his body warmed up.

"_White_…" the girl said, shaking her deep brown hair out of her eyes and looking up at the sky. "White is the color of snowbells, of magical horses which ride the waves into shore on stormy days, of the clouds in the sky which beckon new horizons. It is…A color of new beginning, a fresh start."

"White…"

The girl nodded, absorbed in thought, eyes sparkling in the half-light.

Odd felt something warm spreading down his arm, and he lifted it painfully, eyes wide with horror as red liquid dripped into the snow, ruining it.

"What…Is this?" he asked, dazed.

"It-It's your…blood, Odd Dellarobbia..." the girl said, blinking back sudden tears, unbecoming for her personality. She didn't cry.

"It's red…" Odd observed mildly, dropping his arm again. "What…Is red?"

The girl thought about it, deciding how to phrase it.

"_Red_ is…" she began as Odd started losing consciousness again, eyes heavy, the cold making him sleepy. "Something that is not white."

"White…"

As he drifted away once more, away from the world into the senseless, beckoning zone of darkness, he thought about his life so far. How ironic, that he should lose sight of the world when he had just opened the eyes of so many others. How spectacular, to cease when others are just beginning to see.

How can this be?

* * *

The first thing Odd noticed was how soft it was, compared to the snow-covered pavement where he resided seemingly moments ago. He was warm, and dry, or was that just his imagination? His imagination wandered, and he inhaled deeply, breathing in the scents of the room around him. He smelt…Nothing. Nothing but a slight hint of a flower…A rose, maybe?

Odd opened his eyes, the world coming in and out of focus. The first thing he was greeted with was a wall of impenetrable white. Letting his eyes roam further, he discovered the small, dark window in the corner, and the white bed he woke up on. Hooked up to a white machine, the lights overhead spread their white light over the room, letting nowhere be a shadow. Odd thought back to the words the girl had told him, and he smirked.

What an appropriate color scheme.

His eyes followed the contours of the wall, tracing the edges and shapes of the hospital room with interest. So…He was alive after all; why had he felt so strongly otherwise? The hospital was familiar; the room similar to those Aelita had stayed in when the team had been given a particularly rough time battling Xana, a bed making up almost the entirety of the room's contents, save for some medical equipment.

From somewhere he couldn't place, Odd could hear the soft murmurings of a nurse admitting someone, and the door clicked open, and Ulrich, Jeremy, Yumi, and Aelita spilled into the room, worry prevalent in their eyes. Odd looked at them, unsurprised for some reason. They stood around him, not knowing what to say, yet emotions spilling forth uncontrollably. Ulrich spoke first.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered, leaning against the wall. "I should have told you guys earlier, should have forced Odd to go to a hospital."

Odd shook his head, but Yumi crossed her arms. "That _might _have been a good idea if he was _shot_, Ulrich…"

"Yumi…"

"I'm not talking to you, Ulrich."

Ulrich turned away, a new set of emotions overflowing and strengthening his guilt as Yumi paid her respects to Odd, saying a few motivational phrases and wishing him the best as she turned to leave, much to Odd's bewilderment at what had happened between the two. Jeremy gave Odd a high five and a grin, commanding him under pain of hospital food for a month to get better, and followed Yumi out the door. It seemed like their visit had been only a few seconds, compared to the real stretch of near an hour, and Odd settled back comfortably as the conversation tapered off. Now alone, Ulrich and Aelita stood awkwardly, not knowing what to say.

"Ok…" Odd said, shaking his head. "What happened to me? And what's wrong with Yumi?"

"You were walking to the Factory, and you slipped on some ice," Aelita said shakily. "You fell to the bottom. I guess cats don't always land on their feet, eh?"

Odd laughed, happy to be able to again, and thankful for Aelita's attempt to lessen the seriousness of the mood. He moved his limbs, patting all the way up to his chest. "Two legs, two arms, one body, and one handsome face, yep I'm all here!" he said jokingly, easing the mood even more, and unknotting the frown etched into Ulrich brow, making him roll his eyes.

"Very funny, Odd."

"So, let's see," Odd said, ignoring the unimpressed Ulrich. "After I fell down…I-I was brought to the hospital?" He deliberately left out the part about the mysterious girl, that would only worry Ulrich more.

Aelita nodded, moving over to sit on the edge of Odd's bed. "Yep, William carried you here …" she didn't notice Odd start in surprise, "…But he left before we could thank him properly."

"So…How many days has it been since then?" Odd asked uncertainly.

"About three days."

"_Three days?_"

"That's right, good buddy," Ulrich said, walking over to him and patting him on the shoulder. "You went a whole three days without food, and _survived_ to tell the tale."

"They say you gain special abilities when you're under stress, you know," Odd grinned.

The three of them chuckled wholeheartedly, happy to regain the old Odd again. Ulrich saw Odd stretching his arm, and patting his chest, and he smiled, shaking his head.

"Hey, Odd, take off your shirt," he said, grinning when Odd raised an eyebrow at Aelita, who blushed slightly. "It's fine, just do it, but make sure you stay in bed, you're supposed to be _resting_."

Odd did as he was told, and was greeted with a sight he had been hoping for; the bruises and bloodstains were gone, the scar had even been condensed to a thin white line, and he could breathe and move without any pain. He grinned, and Aelita clapped her hands delightedly. Ulrich pulled a clear bag out of his pocket, and handed it to Odd.

"Turns out, there was still something in there," he said, clearly relieved that everything had turned out all right. He had spent hours with the doctor, making sure that they knew all Odd's symptoms, and were able to detect anything which would lead to further hospitalization in the future. Turns out that Odd had narrowly avoided death by a smaller margin then they had thought; the remainder of the bullet was mere centimeters from slipping into Odd's heart when it was surgically removed.

Odd took the bag from Ulrich, and studied its contents with a mixture of horror and relief. Inside was the bloody remains of about half of the bullet that had pierced Odd all those months ago. It was immediately obvious that that was what had been causing the swelling and bruising. Odd paused with the bag in his hand, then handed it back to Ulrich.

"Get rid of this…" he said quietly.

"Are you sure?" Ulrich asked, surprised. He was sure that Odd would have wanted a memento.

"I'm sure," Odd said, smiling.

"Well then," Ulrich said hesitantly, shooting a sideward glance at Aelita, "I'll take my leave now. I'd better be going if I want to catch any sleep at all before school." And with that, a handshake from Odd and a quick hug from Aelita, Ulrich was off, promising Odd to check back on him before school.

Aelita looked off into the distance for a while, and Odd smiled, joining her in her absentmindedness. After a while, she looked down.

"Odd…" she asked, a slight blush coming to her cheeks.

"Yes, Princess?" Odd grinned, happy to be alive.

Aelita paused, then jumped up, heading for the door. "Never mind, I'll let you sleep now."

"Wait, what time is it?" Odd asked, upset at her sudden departure.

"Almost three in the morning, why?" Aelita asked, leaning beside the light switch.

"Just curious…" Odd said, looking Aelita in the eye. "You need to go?"

"Do you want me to stay?" Aelita asked, hoping.

Odd flashed her a smile, teeth whiter than that of newfallen snow. "Princess, that would be my only wish this dark night."

Pausing to blush, Aelita turned away, pretending to think. Apparently making up her mind, she threw off the light switch, plunging the room into darkness, and danced over to Odd's bed. Curling up beside him, she laid her head on his chest, feeling its strong heartbeat, the powerful lungs once more capable. She heard Odd move, surprised at her actions.

"Aelita…What are you…"

"Would you prefer this then?" Aelita asked, laying her head a few inches away from Odd's own, head resting on the same pillow, staring into his sparkling blue eyes. He smiled, but didn't reply, simply meeting her gaze with that of his own, attempting to channel his emotions silently into those brilliant green eyes. For the second time that year, he was startled and amazed by their depth and luminosity, the value of their scrutiny more precious to him than any emerald.

He blinked, reminding Aelita of sapphires held in a moonbeam, or possibly the crystal waters of the Pacific Ocean where he grew up. They were, if possible, even more alight then before, more alive than he had ever looked, even in his current placement in a hospital.

She blinked, eyes reflecting Odd's in the dim light, and he hers, and she was reminded of an English proverb they had read in her foreign languages class; 'The eyes are the window to the soul.'

If that was true, Odd had a joyous soul, one filled with the hilarity of life. She was convinced that Odd saw the world differently from her, one without the encumbering threat of Xana weighing constantly on his shoulders. A world full of colors in an empty place…A scattered dream, a far-off memory, impossible for those unfamiliar to attain.

Odd fell asleep first, unable to resist the warm embrace of sleep any longer. Sighing with affection at the peaceful face of a sleeping Odd, Aelita got up to leave, then stopped herself. There wasn't any need to leave, and she honestly didn't want to, afraid that something might happen to him when she wasn't there. Kicking off her shoes, she slipped under the blanket and curled up next to Odd, smiling into his chest with pleasure as the heat from his skin warmed her body up, slightly chilled from the early morning cold. His scent filled her nose, and she was glad she had stayed. Snuggling closer to him, she fell asleep, a smile etched into her satisfied face, determined to get closer to this boy of her dreams in the future.

Get better soon, Odd.

* * *

In the hallway outside, a girl leaned against the wall, humming a soothing melody which made nurses and patients alike smile as they passed. The song tapered off, and the girl stood up, a small smile dancing across her face. Heading down the half-lit corridor, she thought about colors, how beautiful the world was, how bright they shone for her. All she wanted was someone to share them with…Someone filled with every hue of the rainbow, personality sparkling like a mirage in the desert of empty souls. Had Odd found that person, in Aelita? If he had…Well, that beckoned the question, what color was _she_?

"_Pink…_" the girl said, stepping out into the cold early morning darkness, eyes focused on the horizon as she spoke out loud, deep in thought. "It is the color of the sunrise…Of the coming dawn. A simpler, cleaner shade of romance, the colored throat of a lily. Pink is…Love…"

The girl wandered the early morning streets of the small French town, grateful for her anonymity as she walked. She didn't think, didn't act, she just _was_, and saw everything as it existed, far more than its outer image.

Unknowingly, the girl had walked to Kadic, and she stood in the courtyard now, staring up into the dark heavens. The sky slowly turned pink, foreshadowing the sun, and she saw the outline of a person standing on the roof, facing the retreating night. His coat fluttered in the north wind, and he remained, impersonating a cold, grey statue embedded into the building. Something caught his eye, and he looked down into the courtyard, finding the girl's eye even from the roof, making her shiver, but not with cold. This stranger…Who she had felt obliged to help that snowy night, had a color too, and she whispered it mournfully to the retreating shadows, willing them to take it with them.

"_Noir…_"

* * *

**The main problem I think that I had with this chapter is the obvious lack of 'cartilage' between the parts, but I hope that you enjoyed reading it, nonetheless! I changed **"Black..."** to **"Noir..."** in the last line, for obvious racial reasons, which I don't even want to get into reviewers with; besides, _noir_ sounds so elegant (for those who aren't familiar with the language, 'noir' is French for 'black', although feel free to correct me).**

**This chapter is dedicated to **EccentricSuperchick**, because I know she'll enjoy the slight romance (NOTE; there was only cuddling in this scene, how could there be anything else with Odd's condition?) A huge thank you to** RascalKat **and **ShadowOdd**, for the great motivational comments; you two made my day.**

**I would appreciate any thoughts on my development of Eren so far.**

**Chapter 8 will be out soon!**

**PS. '_Rose' _means 'pink' in French. Coincidence that the chapter is named the same?_  
_**


	8. Chapter 8 -- Or

**Hi guys,** Noble Scotsman** here with an extra-long chapter (about 1'190 words more than an average story of mine).**

**Sorry for not posting for last week. F****inals are coming up for me and a lot of other writers, so I hope you cut everyone some slack this holiday season on their updates! Personally, my finals start in only two days, so this is a bit of a last-minute post which I was working when I had time last week. I hope it's satisfactory.**

**As you will see, Eren is introduced in a bit more detail in this chapter, and a bit of Jim's...well, you'll see. I hope the anonymous helper of mine is happy with my portrayal of the character; it was fun for me. Oh, to those not involved in the making of this character, do not freak out; yes she is wearing different clothes. I'll leave the explanation at that.**

**So, without further ado, I present you with the 8th chapter of **School of Heroes**!**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

The sun came up slowly over Kadic Academy for the Arts, scarlet iridescence sparkling on the snow-covered ground, casting out the shadows of the night. Two figures sat on the roof, the casual observers of the star's magic.

The boy leaned against the chimney, dark hair ruffled, breath misting in the cool night air, indifferent to the spectacle he was observing, but unconsciously watching nonetheless. His clothes were dark, like his eyes, and this added to his aura of emptiness. His gaze flickered towards his partner, a girl, who was sitting on top of the short chimney that he was leaning against. Her brown hair was short, although long enough to cover her eyes, and the gold highlights seemed to make it sparkle in the sunlight as if it were filled with a thousand tiny stars. She wore black knee length trousers and long-sleeved t-shirt, covered by a white short-sleeved hoodie. Swinging her feet, she hummed softly to the still world, delighting in the simplicities of a winter sunrise.

"…Here comes the sun…Here comes the sun, and I say…It's all right…" she sang, her words carrying down to her partner. The boy smiled slightly, quickly recomposing his face, but the moment had been there, and nothing escaped the girl's keen eye. Flicking her hair out of her eyes, she looked towards the dawn, drinking in its warmth as she spoke. "You know, William…It's all right to smile once in a while."

William let out a short exasperated sigh, but couldn't help a small sarcastic smirk from entering his face as he heard his opposite's words. How could she understand his situation, she who had all the colors and longings of the world painted out before her, unseeing the forsaken place that William did. How could she compare her sepia to his greyscale?

Yes, they were perfect opposites.

The girl sighed, seeming to hear William's thoughts, and jumped down; landing lithely crouched beside her counterpart. Looking into his eyes, she saw the empty plains which she had so familiarized herself with this past week since Odd's hospitalization, now with a small spark of life. Aside from that, she also saw pain…and suffering; a deep melancholy instilled from birth, now hidden deep, afraid to resurface.

"William…"

He looked away, not meeting her gaze; this girl was dangerous. Her violet eyes pierced his soul, ferreting out all his secrets, even his feelings, and showed them to him, reflected in those radiant retinas, beautiful beyond comparison. There was no way he would ever let himself get close to this girl…Both as a punishment for him, and as a precaution for her.

The girl looked into his eyes, seeing the fresh conflict her presence brought. Pausing to consider the outcome, she leaned in, wrapping her arms around him like once before, comforting him. Today his life began anew, it was best to start it right.

"Let's get breakfast, William."

* * *

Aelita smiled as she saw Odd walking down the stairs towards her, and he returned her grin faintly. It had been a week since his hospitalization, and he had finally been released, returning to class yesterday to much speculation about his sudden absence. Aelita had become his constant companion, always by his side to help him, and Ulrich and Jeremy had worked to bring Yumi to an understanding about the situation.

"Good morning…Princess," Odd said, giving Aelita an awkward one-armed hug, his left arm being bandaged to his side after his fall, during which it had been fractured. The pink haired girl smiled, and adjusted Odd's collar for him. It was remarkable how close they had become…But not close enough. Never close enough.

"Good morning, Odd…" she murmured, adjusting his collar.

"Shall we go to PE?" he said, bowing and waving towards the Gym, eyes alight with the thought of another day.

Aelita was shocked. "What, no breakfast?!"

"Ulrich already brought me some," Odd grinned, heading towards his first period. Aelita smiled, and ran to catch up, putting her arm through his, to his surprise.

"Don't fall on the ice, Odd…"

"Morning, Dellarobbia, Stones; better hurry to class or you'll be late!" Jim said, jogging past them. They looked at each other, and Aelita raised a finger to remind Jim of the ice, but it was too late. Jim was already on his back, another victim of the icy ground. Giggling, Aelita and Odd inched past him, very careful not to fall.

"See you in class, Jim!" they laughed, running down the dry corridor. The teacher smiled, grateful for his favorite student's quick recovery from what sounded like a painful injury. He would look forward to breaking-in the old, energetic Odd once again.

"Need help, Jim?" a voice said casually from behind him. Jim craned his neck to see behind him, and spotted Ulrich and Yumi's grinning faces. Groaning, Jim took Ulrich's outstretched hand. Yumi covered her mouth with a hand and picked up the folder Jim had dropped, handing it to him as he was pulled upright. Winking at her, Ulrich kept a hand on Jim's elbow as they headed towards the gym, steadying the feeble giant.

"Thanks…Ulrich," Jim said, grateful for his second-favorite student's help. Rearranging the papers in the folder he dropped, he began to read, trusting Ulrich to tow him to the gym.

"Care to explain how you ended up like that?" Ulrich said, shooting Jim a sly look, amusement barely contained.

"I'd, uh, rather not talk about it," Jim said, pulling himself upright with dignity. Ulrich burst out laughing, and the melodic peal of Yumi's mirth was heard faintly behind them. Smiling, Jim laughed with them, booming laugh putting those around them at ease as they headed into the first class of a new day.

* * *

Jim raised an eyebrow at the row of students that stood at attention before him, clad in their PE uniforms. Having seen them frog-march from the changing rooms, Jim was certain Odd was behind it…Somehow. He cleared his throat, and moved on.

"At, uh…At ease. Today, we have a new student. I expect you all to be nice to her; why don't you come out and introduce yourself?" Jim said, beckoning towards the bleachers behind him, where two people sat. They stood up and walked over, the Lyoko Warriors' eyes darkening at the sight of the taller person, obviously not a girl.

"Why is William here…?" Jeremy muttered to Ulrich, who narrowed his eyes, but shrugged.

William caught Odd's eye and jerked his head towards the second figure, the girl Jim had talked about. She was small, compared to William, and had brown hair highlighted with gold, complimenting her violet eyes. She wore a Kadic PE kit, and stood upright, not condescendingly, but not submissively either; she knew who she was, and what she was capable of. That was all.

Odd's jaw dropped open, but snapped shut as Aelita shot him a questioning glance. He shrugged, but kept his eyes on her.

The girl leaned on tiptoes and whispered something into Jim's ear, who shook his head, not understanding. The girl said it again, a little louder, but Jim still shook his head apologetically. She looked at William in desperation, but he smirked and looked towards the line of students, keeping eye contact with Odd. Looking around the crowd, the girl spotted Odd and, violet eyes flashing the morning sun, pulled him to the front, eyes asking for help. Sighing, he turned to her, switching to English effortlessly.

"Really, you transferred into a school in a country whose language you can't even speak?" Odd grinned, holding his head in mock surprise. "Why do you strike me as the kind of person who would do that?"

The girl smiled at his jest, responding with perfect English, a slight burr to her British accent, as if she were from an Eastern country. "I thought it might be interesting; besides, the person who saved me is here, isn't that right?" she said, leaning towards him. "I thought I recognized you; the emotionless shell of a boy, isn't that right?"

Odd crossed his arms, shaking his head. "Don't assume that I remained the same person after that experience. Speaking of which, I didn't do anything out of the ordinary; if I hadn't done it, someone else would have…" he said, glaze flickering to William.

"Oh?" the girl said following his gaze. "I see."

William sighed and stepped forward, his halting but proficient English a surprise to Odd. "It doesn't matter what might have happened."

The girl looked down, thinking, and Odd scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Didn't you have something you wanted Jim to say?" he asked. The girl blinked, surprised at a reference to such a trivial matter as school.

"Oh, yes. Tell them that my name is Eren, and that I hope to learn French quickly to better get along with them for the rest of the year."

"I could have said it for you," William said blankly.

"Ah…But it's no fun if my guide says everything for me…" Eren said, flashing him a grin.

"Eren…" Odd murmured, ignoring their conversation; his comment drawing stares.

It was a fitting name.

"Hey, what's she saying?" Jim whispered in Odd's ear, bringing him back to reality. Odd looked around at the rest of his class's faces, trying desperately to keep up with the three's fast and outlandish version of English. Even Ulrich seemed to be having trouble, and his face expressed concern for Odd.

Odd shook away his thoughts, putting on a smile and walking in between Eren and William, putting a hand on each of their shoulders and spinning them towards the class. "This is Eren, and upperclassman William, who some of you may know. William is…"

"...An idiot..." Ulrich muttered, making the girls giggle, the boys smirking knowingly alongside them.

"Her guide for the next week," William corrected blankly.

"Right. Eren says that she hopes all of you will help her better learn French so she can talk to you personally. Please help her out!" Odd finished, winking at the girls in the class and making their hearts flutter, once again the class flirt. The guys nodded too, wanting to get on the good side of Odd and his friends, and smiled kindly at Eren. William, Odd, and Eren joined the line, and Jim cleared his throat, happy to be back on track.

"Well, welcome…Eren…Even though you can't understand me. Ehem. Well, today, in honor of Odd's successful recovery, I thought it might be nice to have a day of self-defense; and as proven by Odd's obvious lack of, you might need it someday. What happened to you again? Stabbed? Shot?"

"It was an inflammation of some of my arteries near my heart; they had to operate."

"Right, never heard _that _one before…" Jim said, narrowing his eyes and resting his hand on his chin. "Hmmm…Suspicious…"

Odd withered uncomfortably under Jim and the rest of his class's scrutiny, and after a few minutes, Jim shrugged. He divided the class into groups, and assigned each one to a different skill, entrusting his favorite students to lead the class; due to his amazing display of talent in javelin throwing last year, Jeremy was put in charge of javelin throwing; Ulrich was put in charge of martial arts training; and Odd boxing. Thanks to her training received from Ulrich, Aelita offered to take up the swordsmanship and dagger training, which Jim happily dumped on her; William, despite being in an upper class, oversaw quarterstaff training; and Jim oversaw archery himself.

"All right!" Jim said, standing near a pile of bows, swords, quarterstaffs, and javelins. "This will encompass the next five weeks, so pick the one skill you do not want to learn! Those wanting to take a skill, meet up with your appropriate leader; begin!"

"Jim…"Ulrich cautioned, taking his elbow. "Do you really think this is a good idea? People could get hurt, and Odd wasn't really in any danger…"

"Nonsense, Ulrich!" Jim said, wagging a finger at him from underneath the pile of bows and quivers he was holding. "You think this is all for Odd's sake? Of course not!"

"Then-"

"Look, it's CombatCon two months after we get back from Winter Break, and I want our team to be ready this year! It's a yearly tradition for 10th grade to represent our school!" Jim said, raising his clenched fist with pride.

"Does the principle-"

"Of course! It's a Kadic-hosted event this year, so we need a team anyway. I'm organizing it, so I'll expect your help, got that?"

Ulrich's face showed no faith in Jim's skill to organize such an event. "If you say so, Jim…" he said, walking away to help his team with the mats.

Jim's face was troubled as he watched the students work, setting up each section of the gym for their respective skills. The archery and javelin throwing would be held outside, so that needed no effort on Jim's part, but he was worried about the students. It was true that each class had a choice to participate in CombatCon, but this year Jim was enforcing it, after learning about what really happened to Odd. The doctors had told him the same thing as Odd had, but Jim had been a field surgeon for a few years; the bandages used were too thick for any kind of simple surgery.

That should _never_ have to happen to someone else, Jim decided.

The warm sunlight spilled onto his face as he walked outside, and Jim's brow unknit itself as he smiled. Whatever happened, Kadic would always be there for the students to come back to.

He would make sure of it.

* * *

A girl watched Jim drink in the sunlight, which was few and fleeting in France during the summer, golden rays healing his jaded and worn face. She turned back inside, considering his emotions.

"_Gold…"_ she murmured, touching her hair.

A boy stood appeared in front of her, speaking some language she couldn't understand, but he said it with such a happy expression on his face that she had to smile and help. His long blonde hair grew down to his collar, and hung loosely down the center of his face, passing but not covering his eyes. He handed her a bottle of water, grinning happily.

"Voulez-vous etre mon ami, Eren?" he questioned.

Eren shook her head sadly, not understanding. The boy smiled, though, and pointed first at her, then at himself. "Amis," he stated.

"Mon ami."

She smiled. "_Gold…Is a nice color…"_

* * *

"Hey," Ulrich said, running up to the group's usual bench with Yumi. It was after school, and the courtyard was deserted, expect for a few stragglers left to enjoy the sunset. It really was beautiful, this cold winter setting, but Ulrich wasn't here to discuss Christmas at Kadic.

"Hi, guys," Jeremy said, pushing his glasses up and setting his book down, entitled "Dusty/Complex Plasmas: Basic and Interdisciplinary Research:: Sixth International Conference on the Physics of Dusty Plasmas". Ever since Aelita had introduced him to the joy of reading, he had spent a lot more time in the physical world than on his computer; it was also more at-hand than his computer usually was. "What's up?"

Ulrich threw himself down next to Odd and pulled out a cluster of papers. The gang leaned in, and Yumi positioned herself on the back of Ulrich's seat, a knowing smile on her lips.

"This," he began, "Is a stack of airplane tickets for…The whole gang to come to Germany and stay with me for Christmas."

Aelita jumped up excitedly, hugging Ulrich, and Odd and Jeremy grinned from ear-to-ear. Ulrich smirked from behind Aelita's embrace, and handed Jeremy a letter, in an intricately flowing script. It was an invitation to a Christmas and New Year's party, made out to him. Aelita, Odd, and Yumi each held identical ones, and Ulrich finally managed to pry Aelita's thankful embrace off of him, giving an explanation.

"I thought it might be nice to get a change of scenery," he said, smiling happily at their enthusiasm. "You can all come, right?"

Yumi winked at him. "My family doesn't celebrate Christmas, they'll be fine."

Odd and Jeremy high-fived each other, matching mischievous grins as Odd responded for the both of them, making Yumi consider whether Odd was becoming too much of a bad influence on Jeremy. "We planned on staying here over Christmas Break anyways, to keep Aelita company."

Aelita was quiet, shakily handing her invitation back to a surprised Ulrich. "Aelita, what's wrong?"

"I…Don't have a passport…" she whispered sadly. "I need a passport to travel, right?"

Ulrich's face erupted into relief as he realized that was what she meant. Chuckling lightly, he handed back her invitation, giving her a reassuring wink. "You should open it."

Aelita hesitantly complied, and gasped, holding the small booklet tenderly in her palm; it was a passport, _her _passport. Tears came to her eyes, and she looked towards Ulrich to thank him, but he shook his head, pointing at Odd instead. The aforementioned blonde boy looked away, but couldn't escape Aelita's passionate hug as she thanked him for the gift. The others smiled at each other knowingly, but Ulrich's face hardened, handing Odd something behind Aelita's back.

He examined the papers, then nodded, thanking Ulrich.

Yumi noticed the brief exchange between the two boys and hugged Ulrich's neck, banishing his serious demeanor. "Let's go get dinner, ok?" she said, laughing into his ear.

* * *

The sun went down slowly over Kadic Academy for the Arts, the moonlight sparkling on the snow-covered ground like a field of diamonds, casting the nightly shadows like tendrils of smoke across the campus. Two figures sat on the roof, the casual observers of the moon's majesty.

The boy leaned against the chimney, dark hair ruffled, breath misting in the cool night air, indifferent to the spectacle he was observing, but unconsciously watching nonetheless. His clothes were dark, like his eyes, and this added to his aura of emptiness. His gaze flickered towards his partner, a girl, who was sitting on top of the short chimney that he was leaning against. Her brown hair was short, although long enough to cover her eyes, and the gold highlights seemed to make it sparkle and reflect the night sky. She wore black knee length trousers and long-sleeved t-shirt, covered by a white short-sleeved hoodie. Swinging her feet, she hummed softly to the still world, delighting in the simplicities of a winter sunset.

"William…" the girl said, looking at him, watching the shadows spread across his face.

"Yes, Eren?" he said, not meeting her gaze.

"What do you think of those five?" Eren questioned, tilting her head to the side with interest.

"I think that they are good people," he replied.

"Yes, I have that impression too. Why, then, do you avoid them?"

William let out a short exasperated sigh, but couldn't help a small sarcastic smirk from entering his face as he heard his opposite's words. How could she understand his situation, she who had all the colors and longings of the world painted out before her, unseeing the forsaken place that William did. How could she question his greyscale with her sepia?

"It's complicated."

"You know…William…" the girl began, flicking her hair out of her eyes and looking up at the moon. "Failure and rejection is one of the things which make us human…It's how we know we're alive. But it's the memories we make for ourselves which define us as a person."

"You seem to know quite a lot about this, for someone who's a year younger than me."

Eren laughed, clear and long in the night, replacing the heavy atmosphere with a light, airy feel. She leaned towards William, and touched his nose with her forefinger, winking at him, smile gleaming in the moonlight. "Not emotionally."

William considered this. "What are you trying to get me to do?"

Eren said nothing but lay on top of the chimney, gazing at the stars with a smile. She drew a stack of folded papers from her hoodie, handing them to William over her head. He examined them for a second, and put them in his jacket.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" he asked, working to control his emotions at being given a second chance. "How did you get these?"

"Well, Odd gave them to me. Ulrich wrote me a note as well, it was kind of cute," she laughed, drawing a smile from William. Ulrich had never been called 'cute' before, and it was out of character with his tough, lordly attitude.

"What did it say?" he questioned, smile lingering on his lips.

Eren stretched out her hands to the heavens, pretending to write on paper. "Dear Eren; Odd trusts you, so I do too. I thought it might be a nice introduction to Kadic and some new friends for you to come enjoy my parent's estate in Germany, so feel free to use the tickets whenever. Make sure to bring William. Sincerely, a user of Google Translate."

William laughed, short and guttural, but he laughed. Eren smiled too, and joined him, proceeding to help the boy of noir lying beside her bisect and analyze all the faults of the German boy's note. It was a strange feeling for the boy, feeling like he had a friend, someone he could be close to.

A friend…_My friend_.

_Mon ami._

Eren beamed at William as they finished the last line, leaning down to whisper in his ear, eyes once more alight and seeming to glow in the cool winter night.

"You know, William…It's all right to smile once in a while."

William's eyes flashed, and his smile lingered at their inside joke. Maybe tonight…Just tonight, he could afford some friendship.

"_Gold…Is a color of friendship."_

* * *

**So...I hope it was all right. I frequently try to re-write any inadequate chapters of mine, so this might not be a final draft.**_  
_

**Yes! Jim! I love Jim, he's like a huge teddy bear; but he's never actually given any respect in the show, which I find funny. I just wanted to show some of Jim's emotions in this chapter, as well as many, many other things. CombatCon is a real thing, you should look it up if you're interested, but for the purpose of keeping true to the **Code Lyoko** storyline, I will not go into detail except on the days of PE and the actual tournament. I hope I did not just ruin a seemingly good storyline by making that reference; that was not my intention, but will give me freedom to include more action than possible than solely on Lyoko.**

'_Or'_ **means 'gold' in French, although please correct me if I'm wrong. Yes, the title is the same; coincidence?**

**A huge thank you to **ShadowOdd**, **RascalKat**, **TBone456**, and of course my Guest reviewer. Your reviews are half of what makes this interesting for me, and keeps me writing. I would like to make an announcement that, since I have been getting quite a few pm's from others with questions and asking for advice, (which I actually don't feel qualified to give...) I'm going to be answering a question weekly at the bottom, feel free to skip over it. So, I'll be taking whatever questions you have to ask me and answering them **_here_** instead of via individual pm, but i will still accept questions via pm.**

#1: What gave you inspiration to write SoH?** - A combination of watching Code Lyoko, Guilty Crown, Requiem for the Phantom, and Sword Art Online, as well as just wanting to write a better storyline than **High School Battles**. I hope that answered your question.**

**Chapter 9 will be out soon!**


	9. Chapter 9 -- To Dream

**Hey guys, **Noble Scotsman** here with an all-new chapter from **School of Heroes**!**

**It's been a while, no, a long while since my last update. For that, I am truly sorry, although I would argue that my break was a necessary one. I fear that I may have ruined the storyline with poor plot line judgement, and so I put off writing this chapter. But, it is written now! And I hope that it will rekindle your faith in this storyline, and Code Lyoko!**

**I have taken the liberty of uploading a photo to represent this story, so I encourage you to click the picture frame at the top to view it and, yes, see a picture of Eren.**

**So, without further ado, I present you with the 9th chapter of **School of Heroes**!**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

Aelita breathed out, watching her breath mist in the cool spring air. Snow still covered the ground, even after the long winter break, and the trees were frosted as if with powder sugar, reminding her of their time in Germany, staying at Ulrich's for the holiday. She smiled, and turned to her friends a little sadly, disappointed that the vacation had been so short. As always, Odd's eyes were the first to find hers, and he stepped closer, drawing a sudden surge of warmth and a slight deepening of the color of her cheeks.

Odd stopped her as they waited for Ulrich and Yumi to help Jeremy unload the rest of their bags from Ulrich's car. Smirking slightly at an inside joke, he reached over and gently tugged on Aelita's scarf, pulling the loose fabric free.

"Is this any way to stay warm on such a cool day?" he asked softly, re-tying it for her. "A princess has a duty to never get sick."

"I think it's a little too late for that…" Aelita sniffed, batting at his face with one of her coat's long sleeves. Odd deftly dodged, drawing a quiet round of laughter from him, his voice layered with mirth as he responded, leaning down to whisper in her ear.

"I thought I took rather good care of you, Princess."

Aelita blushed, thinking of the big stone house with the open fireplace, the long nights around the flickering warmth, the smell of pine in the air, mingling with the smell of warm blankets. Odd laughed quietly again, and jumped away as Yumi's backpack sailed through the air, landing where he had just been standing.

"Stop flirting with Aelita, Odd!" Yumi shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth as Ulrich and Jeremy walked next to Odd towards the gate, mirth barely controlled as they grinned knowingly. "Sheesh…" she said, throwing her arms around Aelita. "Don't they know that you're _my_ favorite person? Baka..."

Aelita's eyes narrowed, a mischievous smile coming to her eyes as she looked at Yumi. "Oho…So what's Ulrich, then?"

Yumi sighed, and pushed her away, arms extended as if to ward off a disease, fighting to prevent her face from blushing. "I told you guys…"

"Oho…Are we talking about Ulrich?" Hiroki said, leaning against his sister as he arrived, Milly and tamiya peeking out from behind a corner. "I heard you're going on a date, sis. Is that true?"

"What?! W-Where did you hear that?!" Yumi stammered, clamping her hands over Hiroki's mouth.

Hiroki gave her the thumbs-up as his sing-song reply drifted over the gang's heads. "I know you ver-y-well dear sister!"

"Baka…" Yumi muttered amongst her friends' laughter as they overheard her conversation and started towards the gate once again. The day was cold, and the sky looked the same as it had the day they arrived at the Stern Estate. As it had been then, Ulrich was the one to stop, his eyes narrowed, finding the tall, dark figure whom he had had so many suspicions about. A memory of his father flashed across his vision, but cleared to reveal William, leaning against the wall.

"Yo," he said, standing up straight.

"Where's your friend?" Ulrich asked, eyebrows raised defiantly.

"I'm here…" a soft voice said from behind William, coming out from where she had been sitting against the wall. Her skin was lily-white, contrasting with her brown hair, green highlights like the forest foliage on a sunny day, and she held herself regally, although sleepily.

"You are….?" Yumi asked as Jeremy and Aelita smiled enthusiastically, remembering their new classmate.

"Eren…Excuse my bad French," she said, yawning as the bell rang. "Oh…Start of class, right?"

"Right," Yumi nodded, looking at her watch. "I can't believe it's so late! We'll have to drop our things off after school, then. See you guys!"

"H-Hey, wait up!" Ulrich shouted, grabbing Jeremy and their bags while running after Yumi. "Yumi!"

"The first day isn't mandatory…Right?" Eren asked disinterestedly, rubbing her eyes. "What's their hurry?"

Odd shrugged, and Aelita smiled awkwardly. "All good students are like that."

The violet eye not covered by the girl's hand scrutinized the three in front of her. "Are you suggesting your own inadequacy?"

"Not at all," Odd smirked, walking over to lean beside William. "Only that we enjoy and recognize the simple pleasures of life more than they do."

"How troublesome…" William murmured, walking off. "I'll talk to you later, Eren."

"Mmm," she said, pursing her lips in disappointment. "See you…Then."

Odd gazed at Eren's face, trying to decipher her emotions as she watched William walk away. Unable to do so, he let out a frustrated sigh. "Your French has improved," he noted, pulling a lollipop out of his pocket. Handing one to Aelita, he turned to Eren again, handing her two. "I've only got green, I'm afraid…" he said sheepishly, picking up his bags and starting towards the school, Aelita trailing close behind. "Give one to William for me, won't you? See you in class!"

* * *

Eren's eyes flew open, and she yawned. She was having trouble differentiating between her dreams and reality now…It shouldn't be a problem, though, as she acts the same in her dreams as she does in real life. She set off, walking towards the school as William had just seemingly done, veering off to head towards the undisturbed peace of Kadics's forest. Patting her pocket, she remembered the two lollies she had received earlier; she would have to thank him later…After all, he _was _their P.E. teacher.

Finding what she was looking for, she collapsed on the cool grass, shaded by the branches of an ancient oak. "I've found you, William…" she said, eyes gazing up into the branches to find the dark figure of said boy.

"And what do you intend to do now; make me go to supplementary classes?" he said coldly, his voice resounding through the frozen trees and personifying the cloudy sky above.

Eren shook her head, throwing a lolly to him, which he deftly caught. He blinked, staring into her eyes, and unwrapped it. "My thanks to Jimbo."

Eren nodded, rubbing her eyes. "I'm going to sleep, then…Wake me in a few hours…"

William stared for a second, realizing that she was serious. "Again? You plan to sleep out here? In the winter chill? You might be better suited to sleeping in the back of the warm classroom."

"Oho…Is this concern for my well-being, William? Could your emotions be thawing, ironically, in the cold of winter?" Eren smirked, sprawling beneath the tree comfortably, not expecting a response. Not receiving one, she continued, her voice reminding William of the spreading warmth of hot chocolate after a long day's excursion on the alpine slopes.

"…It's France's nicest season, and its nicest weather setting. It would be a waste to go to class on a day like this…" she said, sighing with pleasure as a beam of sunlight ran across her cheek. "If you lay down too, you'll understand."

"I don't know what you mean…Eren," William said softly, leaning his head against the warm trunk of the tree, "But one day I will understand; I promise…"

* * *

The day wore on, and the sunlight danced with the shadows across the duo's faces, circling, evading, playing a deadly game of catch or be caught, the girl-as-white-as-snow lying in the cool post-winter sunlight, the boy-as-dark-as-night leaning in the shadows of the branches. The grass bent with the breeze, dandelions bursting into a shower of seeds which drifted through the air like hot air balloons do on a windy day. The flowers shone like gems in stark relief against the post-winter sun, and the trees glowed like green torches as the sun danced off their leaves. A small stream trickled through the woods near the sleeping students, and a woodpecker called in the distance. A herd of deer tiptoed through the foliage, picking the choicest vegetation for their youth, seeking the best hiding spots as squirrels ran through the forest in quick pursuit of nuts. A frog croaked, and the wind billowed again, revealing the changing pictures in the sky, the masterpieces of the wind. Then they were no longer in a forest, but caught up on the wind, alone in a field covered in flowers, the sky open and vast. Mountains lined the distance, but for now, it was flat and comfortable. The immensity of the world was impressed on them, and they slept soundly.

Then they were back under the oak tree in Kadic, the difference minute, but heartfelt.

A tear, infinitesimal in size but perfect and round, rolled down her cheek as Eren awoke, looking around to find herself alone, as always. It was longing which filled her dreams, but as with all good dreams, everything must come to an end. Maybe she would invite William to come sleep with her tomorrow for real…Tonight she must become a warrior…Or was that another dream?

Dreams…What are they?

"Well…What _are_ they?" William asked, leaning forward from his perch against the stone wall.

"What?" Eren asked, shaking her head sleepily. So they were back at the gate, and the friends of William weren't here yet. That's good.

"You were about to tell me what dreams meant…" William said, looking off into the rising post-winter sun, obscured by the trees. "Do dreams even exist..?"

Eren drew her hood to shield her eyes from the sun. "For some, dreams are today's answers for tomorrow's questions. For some, dreams are one's heart calling…Calling to their homeland."

"I don't get your riddles…" William complained softly, sighing as he bent to pick a strand of grass, twirling it between his fingers. "But if we're talking about sleep, at least tell me why you always sleep during the day, and act at night."

Eren thought for a moment, stretching her hand out to the still-dark sky before answering. "I think, that it is because I once heard it said that those who dream by night wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible."

William's eyes gazed uncaringly down the road that led away from Kadic. "And you have a dream that you would make possible?"

Eren stood up, putting her arms around William like always. Leaning on tiptoe, she whispered in his ear, a smile playing over her lips as she spoke. "I would first have you happy."

"And how would you accomplish such a pointless and bothersome ordeal?" William queried uncaringly.

"Magic."

"But a dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work," William said, uttering a quote his father often used when lecturing him. "So what does that make the indolent dreamer? What would be _his _punishment?"

"A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world," Eren said calmly, pressing her face into his chest reassuringly.

"And would you stay with me, when that time comes?" William asked, his eyes blank as snow began to fall in the morning light, reflecting light to create hues that danced across their faces and layered the ground, covering the grass with a fine layer of white, which would soon melt under the intensity of the sun, or if someone bothered to reveal the tender green shoots.

It's just like dreams…They lie hidden until needed, and wait undisturbed until they can be made possible. They are constantly a source of hope for those without hope, a veil like the snow which beckons the promise of freedom.

"Reality is wrong," Eren whispered, fingering a lock of green hair and looking at William with absolute certainty, violet eyes intense. "Dreams are for real."

* * *

A thousand miles away, a figure looked out of a window located high above the ground in a stately mansion. He observed the grounds as only their lord can, and nodded with satisfaction at the blanket of snow's unperturbed perfection. He fingered the green suit he wore, and the tie with the Stern family emblem on it, and sighed as he caught sight of himself in a mirror.

"What an unbecoming face for one of such nobility…" Yumi said, appearing in a black dress which had the perfect balance between class and comfort. The Stern estate had a selection of old clothing which had only been worn once, and Mrs. Stern had given Yumi that as a gift. Smiling, she tilted her head, observing him. "I think you look good in that; it fits you, Ulrich."

"That's what _he_ says…" the boy murmured, eyes darkening.

"Well…"

"Yumi," the boy said sharply. "It appears that we've both outstayed our welcome; we'll leave for Kadic tomorrow. Besides, the second semester is going to start soon."

"What's going to happen with Odd…?" Yumi asked quietly, knowing Ulrich could hear her. His eyes hardened.

"Until further notice…He's going to come back with us. We've got to somehow convince them to let Odd stay at Kadic by the time they come to pick him up."

"Sounds difficult. Are you going to be able to do it by yourself?" Yumi smirked, walking over to stand next to him.

"Don't be ridiculous. _You'll_ be the one to reveal what really happened to him, after all," Ulrich grinned, watching her horrified expression out of the corner of his eye.

"Kidding, Yumi…Where are the rest of them, though?" he asked, fighting back laughter at Yumi's relieved expression.

"Jeremy's in the library…" Yumi said, causing Ulrich to chuckle with expectation; he should have known. "…And Aelita's with Odd," Yumi said humorously.

"Is she feeling any better? I know she was sick when we got here," Ulrich said, avoiding Yumi's sally into conversation about the relationship between Aelita and Odd. There was a time and place for everything, and in the Stern Estate, even the walls had ears.

"Much better, thanks to Odd," Yumi nodded, understanding Ulrich's tone.

"Those two…" Ulrich said quietly, smirking, "Curled up by the fire again, I imagine."

"Of course. Besides, it's good for her."

"When will those two understand each other…" Ulrich murmured out loud, running his hand against a stone pillar as it began to snow. A grandfather clock struck 12, and Yumi looked down. When will _he_ understand…?

"Yumi."

She looked up and saw Ulrich, hair perfect, suit flawless, standing with his heels together and one hand behind his back, other outstretched towards her. He was smiling, his forest green eyes alight from the moonlight streaming through the snow, expression kind.

"May I have this dance, on the last night of our time here?"

Yumi's eyes filled with emotion, and she smiled, placing her hand in his gently, as if entrusting herself to him. Not trusting herself to speak, she nodded, and Ulrich led her a little away from the window, entering the dance.

* * *

Years later, the window was renamed from 'Perfection's Solace' to 'The Dancing Window', and story has it that there was once a couple that was so madly in love that they danced the whole night away, following their own music by the 'Perfection's Solace', knowing only themselves, finding only their hearts. No longer was perfection alone, but found in the hearts of two people who became one that night. The elders who used to attend Herr Stern's parties and met his son say that the son and his lover's spirit still lives on in that window, and that if you take your lover there on a snowy night you can see their reflection dancing in the window in time with the snowflakes, and, if you stay long enough and look hard enough, you can slowly see them dancing away into the sunrise.

But that's another story.

For this story is one of a violet-eyed girl and the boy who she helped find himself, of a fleeting romance, and of their journey to experience each shade, every hue and tint of color to be found in this world.

This is a tale of illumination.

* * *

**So, how was it? I would really appreciate your reviews, as I am coming out of a few months' inactivity, so I would like to know your take on this first chapter of the new year. Everything _will _be revealed in time, and there might be multiple flashbacks to the gang's time at the Stern Estate...And what Eren and William did over the break.**

**Yes, I revealed a new color, and the overall theme of this story (did you like it?). I have decided to make a space at the top of my page which lists all the colors named/used in this story and their meaning, to make it easier, hopefully, to read. If you're curious, try there.**

**This chapter is dedicated to all the dreamers out there, and most especially to those that follow those dreams. I tried to balance the OddxAelita with the other pairings as best I could, but I think I overdid it with the UlrichxYumi couple; it fit, though. This is also for all those who have read and reviewed my chapters up until now; I wouldn't have the will to write without you guys, your comments cheer me up like nothing else.**

#2: What songs (if any) do you listen to when you write? **That's a broad question...But for this chapter, I listened to** "Forever Gamer - SkyMarshall Arts" **which is just a fun song, ****and for the series, if I had to list one song, it would definitely be **"The A Team - Ed Sheeran"**. The second song, especially, embodies what I'm trying to get through pretty well; I would encourage anyone interested to try listening to it next time you attempt to understand one of my chapters. Have fun!**

**Chapter 10 will be out soon!**


	10. Chapter 10 -- Euterpe

**Hi guys, **Noble Scotsman** here with a new chapter from **School of Heroes**!**

**It's been a while, I can only hope that this chapter is up to scratch. Sorry to **Hiroki**x**Millie **fans, but I prioritized the other couples over those two in this chapter, I'm sorry. However, I hope those of you rooting for the other couples enjoy this chapter, especially - well, you'll see.**

**And so, without further ado, I present you with the 10th chapter of **School of Heroes**!**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

The dawn came slowly, creeping across the roof of Kadic Academy, the cold, harsh light of the ending winter. A boy sat on the roof, meeting the sun with expectant eyes that sought hope in the form of something…Anything, in a desperate effort to bring meaning to his life. He looked next to him, where a girl leaned against him, sleeping deeply and soundly, resting against his shoulder. He leaned forward, and, pausing a few inches from her hair, inhaled the fragrance that had become part of his morning ritual over the past few weeks. It had a warm smell, welcoming, comforting; healing his broken spirit, even in sleep.

William closed his eyes as the sun hit them, anointing his eyes with fire, and pondered a question that had been plaguing him the whole night. What was…Eren, to him? More importantly, what was _he_ to _her_? Until now, he had never thought about her presence, taking for granted all that had transpired about them. He had so many questions unanswered, so much still to learn about her.

Where had she come from?

Why had she chosen to befriend him?

_What was she trying to achieve?_

He shook his head, suddenly, plunging it back into the soft glow of Eren's hair. Questions were not necessary, and hindered progression. "XANA is always right…" he whispered silently, a reminder to himself that he was an outcast; a vile creature that should be treated much the same way as a monster. The light on the horizon flickered and disappeared behind a building, and William's eyes hardened into their usual set face that came with his character. Eren stirred in her sleep, and opened her violet eyes, immediately examining William with a cascade of lights that shone and danced like lanterns, seeming to break the barriers that bound them purely to her eyes. She smiled at his expressionless face, and laughed softly, pulling him into a soft embrace.

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself, William…" she whispered tenderly, seeming to read his thoughts. She rested her chin on his head as a small smiled played across the boy's face, there for an instant before it was repressed, their roles reversed from a moment ago.

Eren pulled away and stood up, walking lithely across the roof to the hatch, treading the ridge between where the shadows of the night met the light of the day, her tread like the sequence of notes upon sheet music, and just as sweet. She glanced behind her questioningly, as if worried that William might not follow.

He ran his hand through his hair and stood up, moving to stand next to her. As she turned for the entrance to the dorms, William, driven on a certain impulse, wrapped his arms around her in the same manner she had, all those months ago in the snow. She touched his arm, but made no effort to escape, simply standing there as the courtyard came alive below them.

"Thank you," William said, withdrawing from the fragile, fragrant girl in front of him. She turned to him, smiling once again, and took his hand.

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself, William…" she whispered, her voice melodic, leading them to class.

* * *

"Alright! Today is the day you've all been waiting for; we will decide the 6-person team to represent us in CombatCon!" Jim roared, annunciating each word with dramatic arm sweeps and fist clenching. "The best of the best will be there, so give this your all! Now, line up over there…"

The class hurried to obey a battle-driven Jim.

"All right, the tests will be against the instructors, if you manage to best them, you earn their place as competitor. The tests will be consecutive, one person runs through the skill which he, or she, thinks that they have the most skill in…Begin!" Jim announced gleefully, unable to notice the soft tapping on his elbow of a certain concerned girl, whose mouth creased into a thin smile before joining the back of the que.

The class leaned forward as the first student walked forward. "Archery!" Nicolas called, smirking confidently. His padded arrows thumped one after into Jim, rendering him bruised and battered, and he took over the archery testing for the rest of the class as the weary gym teacher reluctantly gave up his position to the very first competitor.

"Next!"

"Swordsmanship!" a wiry boy said, pushing his glasses up his nose to hide his blush. Aelita smiled kindly, giving him a thorough and humiliating defeat.

"Come back next time!" she said cheerfully, flashing a grin at Odd while Ulrich gave her the thumbs up. Training apparently paid off.

The rest of the day flew by in a frenzy of twirling swords, quarterstaffs, and fists for the class, and having been excused from all other classes for the day, they lounged around, cheering each new candidate on with renewed fervor, insistent that at least one beat and take the place of the indefatigable Lyoko Warriors. Their encouragements were short-lived, however, and as the line was whittled away to leave only one student, waiting in the back of the line instead of watching the conflicts fold out in front of her, their hopes had been crushed thrice-over. Their eyes took in her small, slight figure, wondering how many seconds she would last against any one of them.

Jim shifted nervously as he heard the murmuring of disappointment in the final candidate from the rejected students on the bleachers. "Well…" he said, leaning in, "What would you like, then?"

Eren's violet eyes flashed as she responded, and the red highlight in her hair glowed golden in the mid-afternoon sunlight. Her posture bespoke of power, despite her height, and the aura of competence emitting from her caused Jim to back up slightly.

"Everything," she grinned, flashing a perfectly white smile, canines flashing like daggers in the dark gym.

Jim stared as she walked over to stand apart from Nicolas, picking up the bow and slinging the quiver over her shoulder as if from years of repetition. She glanced sideways at Jim, then at Nicolas, who had already strung an arrow in preparation. Her bow lay empty.

"Call it," she said, her French now flawless, her tone amused.

Jim swallowed nervously. "I have a bad feeling about this…" he muttered, then shook his head. "Archers, begin on my mark…"

William's eyes took in the scene unfolding before him in seemingly slow motion. Each archer was equipped with a standard recurve, outfitted with a total of 7 arrows, and stood 50 yards from one another. They each wore a padded jacket and a bowman's cowl, and slung their quivers as Nicolas had, on his hip, or as Eren had, over her shoulder. Their objective; to hit the critical areas marked on their opponent as quickly and as accurately as possible. A seemingly dangerous objective, to be sure, but in a game of CombatCon, where a team of six, composing of one swordsman, peltast, lancer, boxer, martial artist, and archer attempted to knock unconscious an opposing team comprised of similar roles, the competitor must be sturdy enough to weather such treatment.

"…Mark."

Eren tilted her head at Nicolas, mockingly, hair glowing softly in the sunlight streaming into the darkened gym. "After you," she mouthed, her hands still empty. Nicolas glared at her, bringing up his bow and firing in one smooth motion, his arrow flying straight and true towards his target. It was only after his shot did he register that his opponent's hands were suddenly no longer empty.

Eren's hands were a blur. With a movement that looked like a trick of the eye, she had brought the bow up and sighted along the shaft, releasing three arrows in rapid succession. The first intercepted and shattered the arrow Nicolas had fired mid-air, while the second and third knocked Nicolas backwards into the air, landing him on the ground with the breath driven out of him and nasty bruises lining his ribs. His eyes met Eren's, sensing and accepting the absolute truth that this was not a person he would want to trifle with. Her cold eyes pierced him as if shooting their own arrows, and she turned to Jim, lowering the nocked arrow she had at the ready.

"Do we need to continue?"

Jim shook his head, in shock. The class was absolutely silent.

Eren shook her hair, smiling confidently, and flashed William a brilliant smile. She handed Jim her bow danced over to Jeremy, flexing her fingers as she picked up her weapon. With an expression of complete innocence, she looked at him, twirling her javelin as she spoke in an amused tone, her airy tone commanding the feeling of absolute competence.

"Should we begin?"

* * *

By the time she had beaten Jeremy, the class was once again on their feet and making an uproar, encouraging her to go on.

"All right, all right…Quiet down…" Jim roared, barely controlling a huge smile from breaking over his own face. "Next round! The swordsmanship test, and, unfortunately, the last one I will allow Eren to participate in, due to the lateness of the hour. However, there's a catch for our devilish beauty here! All four of the remaining champions against her at once! How does that sound?!"

William and Ulrich exchanged concerned looks with some of the class, but their silent worry was drowned out by the roar of the audience that had formed from the rest of the school. Jim attempted to calm them, finally losing his composure and turning to grin at Eren. "SO," he roared, reaching success in his endeavors to quiet the crowd, "How does that sound?"

"I don't have a problem with that," Eren said, mouth quivering with the shadow of a smile, eyes defiant.

"Then we begin on my mark!" Jim roared, gesturing for Ulrich, Odd, and William to acquire their own swords and stand next to Aelita. He tossed Eren a short wooden sword, like the others held, and she gazed at it silently for a moment before taking her stand, sword down in the sheathed position at her side. She sighed, as if disappointed with some aspect of her weapon, and closed her eyes, waiting.

"'Go to' on three!" Jim roared, abandoning any pretext of being the mature teacher.

The Lyoko Warriors readied themselves.

"One!" he roared.

Eren felt the wood on her fingers, the way it had been carved from a branch. She could feel the floor beneath her, the vibrations as her opponents moved to enclose her in a circle intermingling with the stamping of the crowd. The gym hummed with life around her, but she stood alone.

_I am a single blade…_

"Two!" the crowd responded.

She smelt the scent of the wood, the rough, woody smell of the European forests, so different from the piny scent given off by the trees in her homeland. She could smell the sweat of her opponents, their nervousness. Somebody had left a window open, the smell of ozone filled her nose; it would rain tonight.

_A blade has no heart; therefore, it does not think…_

"Three!" they yelled in symphony.

Eren heard the roar of the crowd, tuning them out with the sound of her own mantra, ignoring the sound of coins dropping on the floor. Many more would be spilled by the end of tonight.

_It is simply a weapon…_

"Go to…" she heard the one called Ulrich murmur, knowing it was more to himself than anyone else. She tasted the air; it was sweet with the taste before a storm, chilling her teeth and calming her breath. Storms are dangerous, she thought.

_As am I._

Eren smiled, her eyes flying open as she twirled to intercept a strike from Aelita. The sunshine seemed to make their perspective of time muggy, and Eren met each consecutive strike, with an imperceptible motion faster than the other swordsmen could follow, rushing to help Aelita. Eren suddenly leaned backwards, feeling the air which had been disturbed directly above her by her opponents sword, and as flexible as a willow, cartwheeled backwards, catching Aelita under the chin. She landed gracefully, and rushing in, met the surprise in her face with nothing, moving through Aelita's defense to drive her knee into her solar plexus, dropping her. Spinning, she redirected Odd's wild thrust into the side of William, toppling both of them.

The two struggled to regain their weapons, and Eren moved in, blocking strikes here and there from Ulrich, desperately trying to slow her down. Turning to him, she let a ray of hostility enter her eyes, and feinting a strike, she dropped into a crouch and swung her leg out, sweeping Ulrich off his feet. Turning back to Odd and William, she rushed at them, her thrust catching Odd in the chest and lifting him off his feet as William moved to intercept it, stopping in awe at the sight of her power. She was no where near as helpless as he had thought she was. With a cruel smile, she turned to him, and knocking his sword aside, she held him at point, blade on his neck.

"There's no salvation from conflict, is there, William?" she said, dropping her blade. "Or you wouldn't be here now, would you?"

Ulrich's eyes tightened as he heard Eren's words, silently moving to his feeting and dropping into a stance one would use with a katana, sword slightly to the side, angled to cover his body. Eren saw him out of the corner of her eye, and adjusted, switching into a rear tail-guard, her sword angled behind her in the style taught by the academies of Eastern Europe. The maneuver left one's opposite side open, but in attacking that side the attacker would be left open to an assault. It was a matter of speed.

Ulrich narrowed his eyes, considering his opponent's mindset. She no obviously never regarded William as a threat, although, did she regard any of them as that? A disarmed opponent at her back meant no more to her than if he had been writhing on the floor in pain, both were incapacitated. It was remarkable, then, that she had not simply injured him, for convenience if not to impress Jim.

The crowd hushed, watching the two regard each other with silent eyes. The sunlight shone paths of light in the dark gym, specks of dust floating here and there in them like tiny, iridescent snowflakes. Eren moved her blade into the sunlight, and Ulrich saw that it was lined with snow, unerringly still. He took a breath, realizing with absolute conviction that he was completely, and unquestionably, out of his league here. Eren smiled, seeming to read his mind, and stepped forward.

This was Eren's element now, and Ulrich was just another wandering soul lost in its wilderness.

* * *

Yumi had entered the gym after the gang hadn't answered her phone calls, wondering what all the commotion was about. Somebody had apparently spread a rumor of the infamous CombatCon trials, and she wondered whether that had something to do with the silence. The first thing upon entering the gym she saw was Aelita crumpled on the ground between a guarded Odd and William, who were moving behind their assailant to draw her attention away from Ulrich. Faster than her eye could follow, their swords had been redirected and they too had been defeated. With wild eyes, she realized that the last swordsman was Ulrich, fighting against a girl with dark brown hair with a red highlight and piercing violet eyes.

Ulrich was by far the best swordsman Yumi had ever seen, and his skills with a katana rivaled those of his enhanced abilities in Lyoko. His form was flawless, albeit with the wrong type of sword, but still without error. He stepped back, and his opponent took the opportunity to lunge at him, causing him to strike at a seemingly unprotected part of his opponent's body, but was blocked by a half-strike of imperceptible speed. With a start, Yumi realized just how outmatched Ulrich was in this duel. Ulrich may have perfect form and unrivaled knowledge about the theory, but he lacked the raw talent and genius shown by this girl. Her sword seemed to sing through the air, the air about it humming the melody of a thousand flutes, her tread like the dancer who attunes theirself to such bliss. Ulrich slashed wildly at his opponent, but, singing, she hit his hilt mid-stroke and sent his sword flying. She moved in, punching his protected head with her pommel and spinning as he arched backwards to deliver a kick that sent him flying off the ground.

Stunned, Yumi tuned out the roar of the crowd, ignoring Jim's victory speech and high-fives to those the girl had fought against, focusing only on the deliberately indifferent face of the girl. She was looking earnestly at William, but he didn't meet her eyes, seeming not to notice her. Worry creased her forehead before Yumi lost sight of her, having slipped away through the crowd. With a sigh, she gave up her search, and ran over to take care of the injured, looking desperately for Ulrich.

She had to know about that girl.

* * *

"Ugh…My head hurts…" Ulrich complained as the Lyoko Warriors walked through the cool night. Yumi glanced at him, worried, but he grinned, waving her concern away.

"Some fighter…" Odd marveled, the look on his face leaving no doubt about his future endeavors. "I wonder whether she'd want to teach me something…In return, I could show her around town! It's a flawless plan oh Ulrich good buddy!" he exclaimed happily, throwing his hands behind his head and grinning pointedly at Ulrich.

"I don't know, Odd…I don't think Aelita needs the competition," Ulrich grinned, causing the two in question to blush.

"Who was that person anyway..." Aelita mumbled, holding her midsection, an icepack bound to her chin. Odd looked at her worriedly, slipping his arm around her shoulder to offer support. She sighed appreciatively, and he grinned, answering her question.

"Eren de Chant Sabre," he said, laughing at their blank faces. "It's her title, it means Eren of the Singing Sword. She's a famous sabre fencer, and has the title of both Lady and Knight bestowed upon her by the Queen of England. Accordingly, she has the right in three countries to carry a battle-ready sword on her person, and the permission of 5 others to wear an ornamental dulled blade."

"Odd...How do you know this?" Ulrich asked, exchanging looks with Jeremy.

"Well...I heard about her over...Over the summer," Odd said, looking pointedly at Ulrich. "So I did a bit of research, I guess..."

"Obsession," Aelita murmured, drawing a round of laughter from everyone but Odd.

"Aelita..."

"Anyways, so she's famous," Yumi said. "What's she doing here?"

Odd shook his head. "I have no idea."

"Eren de Chant, I assume that's short for de Chant Sabre, born same year as us, minus Yumi. Lost both parents in an insurgent attack in Mongolia...So she's an orphan. It also says on her page that she is currently employed by the French government as part of their special police..." Jeremy read, eyes flashing from his open computer screen to the surprised faces of his friends. "It also says that she's MIA."

"Ok, thanks for the graphic update, Einstein," Yumi said, palming her face. "Now she's even more of a mystery."

"Maybe she ran away," Aelita said simply.

"Maybe..." Jeremy said, closing his computer with a definitive click.

"In any case, we should get some sleep," Yumi said, stretching and looking pointedly at Ulrich, he got the message.

"Night, guys," Ulrich said, turning at the intersection to walk Yumi home. A light reflected off Jeremy's glasses as he saw Yumi slip her hand into Ulrich's, a devilish grin appearing on his face.

"Aha…I see…" he muttered evilly, chuckling.

"Don't be weird, Einstein," Odd said, bumping Jeremy's head with his fist.

"Odd's right," Aelita said, nodding wisely.

Jeremy shrugged, and it started to rain. Covering his head, he ran towards the dorms, waving over his head as he wished them a good night. Odd and Aelita stood alone now, looking at each other through the rain. Odd leaned forward, taking Aelita's hand in his.

"Care to take a walk?" he winked.

* * *

Odd and Aelita walked through the torrential downpour silently, stepping over rivets of water which blocked their path and dancing around puddles. Aelita was slightly out of breath, but not from the physical exertions she was partaking in. She inhaled deeply, squeezing Odd's hand slightly. Everything smelled new and fresh when it rained, seeming to wash away the grime from this world like the mud is cleansed from a rare gem. The rain makes everything beautiful…And wet, she remembered, making a face and fingering her ruined clothes, before catching sight of Odd's hair out of the corner of her eye. It was slicked down and back, like some nobleman would wear, and had constant rivets of water draining out of it in a strangely beautiful way.

"This rain…Isn't bad…" she whispered, sighing with happiness as the cool rain soothed her bruises.

Odd stopped.

"What's wrong, Odd?" Aelita asked, surprised.

"Is your midsection alright?" he asked, obviously having heard her. She blushed at his obvious concern, making him laugh that quiet laugh that she loved. "If you're sure…So, what do you think of Ulrich and Yumi?" he asked, his honest eyes regarding her in the light of a streetlight with curiosity as she started at the question clearly asked out of the blue.

Aelita sighed, walking over to the relative protection of a tree's canopy, looking at the perfect, teardrop-shaped raindrops fall from the dark sky and drip onto her hair. "They love each other."

"So you think they should be going out with each other, right?" Odd said, amusement lighting his eyes, ignoring the rain which ran rivets through his hair and down his face, still managing to dazzle her in such conditions.

"If they like each other, then yes…" Aelita mumbled, looking at Odd out of the corner of her eye.

"Is that so…" Odd said, walking over to put his hands on the tree on either side of her, trapping her within his arms. His warmth broke through the chilly curtain fabricated by the rain, warming Aelita. For the first time, she noticed that he smelled...Amazing. "So then, if you believe that about them, then what do you think about us, I wonder?"

Aelita didn't say anything, unable to make her blushing face meet his eyes, intoxicated by his scent. Odd released her from her prison, but moved in to whisper in her ear, laughing softly as he did so.

"You're such a hypocrite, Aelita…" he smirked, laughing at her outraged expression. "So, if a theoretical gentleman took ahold of you like _this_," he demonstrated, pulling her into his arms, "and held you like _this_," he said, putting a hand tenderly on her waist," and took ahold of your face like _this_," he demonstrated, holding her chin up and meeting her emerald gaze with brilliant sapphire eyes of his own, "and tenderly said, _I love you_ while gazing into the immense beauty of your eyes, what would you tell him?"

"Theoretically?" Aelita managed to ask, breathless.

Odd chuckled to himself, a quiet shaking laugh which lit up the night, and he grinned fantastically at the helpless pink-haired beauty in his arms. "Yes, theoretically."

"Would this theoretical gentleman happen to have a name?" Aelita managed to phrase, a hopeful tone lining her words.

"Let's just call him a scrawny, dog-loving, arrow-shooting, princess-saving ordinary schoolboy," Odd said, absolutely straight-faced.

"I'm not really a princess, Odd," Aelita reminded him, and before he had a chance to respond, she pressed her lips swiftly against his, throwing her arms around his neck as she caught him off-balance, toppling them to the ground. Aelita let off for a second to re-establish her authority perched atop him, a shy smile coming triumphantly to her lips as she formed a coherent statement.

"How's that for a response?" she asked shyly through her blush.

"Very ferocious," he complimented her, smiling through his eyes.

She leaned down to give him another quick kiss before standing up to brush herself off. "Yumi said to get some sleep," she reminded him, fighting the euphoria threatening to burst inside of her. "I'll see you tomorrow!" she called, running towards the dorms.

"That's utterly impossible now that you've gone and done that to me…" Odd muttered in mock-protest, watching her go. Once she was out of sight, he sat up and leaned against their tree, smiling.

"This rain…Isn't bad…"

* * *

Eren was singing again, a quick, sweet melody to which the rain quietened to listen to. The soft, fleeting sound of her voice broke the shadows and pulled the curtains in closer to hear, the cool air soothing her lungs as she sang. It was her song, a song to sing to the desolate, a song to sing for the broken, a song for the desperate. Its sweetness, if heard by others, would have brought strong men to tears, and the empty shells of the broken back to life. Such was the purpose of this song, and such was its sweetness.

She looked around the dark room with which she had commonly familiarized herself with over the past few months. It was dark, the desk had only a small lamp, and the room lay widely unfurnished. The room was uncommonly clean, though, and there was a large window with a clear view of the forest, obscuring the cityscape, through which the moon would bathe the room in a soft glow on clear nights.

It was William's room.

She looked at the bare walls, remembering how William had told her they used to be covered in posters and stickers. After his last trip, he had said, none of that had seemed important anymore, and he had taken them down. He had sold his old useless things, and kept the room tidy for convenience. His bed was as plain as his wardrobe, a simple heavy white duvet with a black pillow to contrast the white walls and carpets.

Eren bit her finger, fighting back an uncontrollable smirk. She always felt so happy at night, especially when it was either raining or snowing like it was tonight. Maybe it was because she and William couldn't spend the nights on the roof anymore, and had to retire to this room, she thought, stroking his hair, smiling at the troubled, innocent face he always wore when he slept in her lap like this.

She watched the dark shapes forming on the carpet, vaguely resembling the ribbons of rain which cast their shadow on the floor from outside. So many dark paths crossing William's path…It seemed impossible that he still be sane after everything that he'd been through. It was amazing that he hadn't simply ceased to exist anymore.

Her violet eyes flashed, suddenly intense. She bent her head low over William's, kissing his forehead with a silent promise.

"I promise…I'll never hurt you, or let any harm come to you again, William."

"Euterpe and I will protect you."

* * *

**_Look up Euterpe. _  
**

**I hope it was satisfactory. I may have rushed things a little, but please bear with it as I once more try to get into the groove of writing again. Reminder; what color was the highlight in Eren's hair? Red? What does that mean again? (aha...I see...)**

**This chapter is dedicated to the lovers out there, for "****Each moment of a happy lover's hour is worth an age of dull and common life." (Aphra Behn) I hope to get more reviews so I can individually thank people, but for now, I also hope **UNSC Spirit of Fire **is reading to let him know that I eagerly await the next chapter of his story.**

**Chapter 11 will be out soon! (hopefully)**


	11. Short -- Sleep-Talking

Noble Scotsman **here with an all-new Short from **Code Lyoko**.**

**I wanted to do a short of how I think a typical night in the dorms with Odd might go, so I came to this conclusion and thought it strange enough to possibly be a reality. The context of the story is how Odd might act when hungry and running on reserve batteries from sleepiness, driving Ulrich to the point of insanity.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

**Sleep-Talking**

Ulrich trudged through the downpour back the the dorms, exhausted. The warm, fuzzy memory of walking Yumi home had barely had time to fade before Ulrich slumped into his room. To his surprise, Odd was still in his clothes, asleep against the wall as if he had been waiting up all night to talk to him about something. Smiling warmly at the thought, Ulrich turned away, dressing for bed.

Suddenly, Odd bolted upright, tears streaming down his face. Startled, Ulrich backed up.

"What's wrong...Odd?" he asked tentatively.

Odd ducked his head, sobs coming in waves. After a few minutes, he crawled back into bed, muttering unintelligible things. Shaking his head, Ulrich followed his example, completely unnerved by Odd's strange performance.

"Hey, Ulrich?" Odd murmured sleepily, the tears subsiding.

"Yes, Odd?"

"You-You can't let him do it, Ulrich..."

"Who? Xana?"

"No, not Xana..."

"Then who?"

"G.I. Jim..."

"What about him?"

Odd bolted upright, clenching his fist, a new wave of tears forming in his eyes. "He said he's going to put us on a training diet, Ulrich!"

"_That's _what you had to say?!" Ulrich said, completely astounded. "_That's _what you're upset about?!"

"Hm...Couldn't say..." Odd said, slumping back into a drowsy stupor. "Tacos..."

"Ok, you're completely insane," Ulrich said, throwing a pillow at him, which Odd tried to eat. "Get some sleep."

"Taco taco taco..."

"Goodnight, Odd..." Ulrich sniffed. "Actually...Wait. What's that smell?"

"Taco?" Odd offered.

"Shut up..." Ulrich grinned, holding his nose. "It's something burning...Did you make something, Odd?" Ulrich asked, walking over to the microwave.

"Marmalade..."

Ulrich yanked open the microwave, which let burst a cloud of black smoke. Ulrich threw open the window, coughing, and inhaled deeply as the room was drained of its toxins. Reaching a shaky hand into the blackened microwave, Ulrich pulled out a sticky abomination, holding it out to Odd.

"What..." he began, furious, "In the name of all things sacred is _this_, _Della-Robbia_?"

Odd stared at the foreign object as if it were something very important which he couldn't forget. Turning to Ulrich, he spread his hands.

"Marmalade taco," he offered.

"...Just how tired _are_ you...?"


	12. Chapter 11 -- Impact

**Hi guys, **Noble Scotsman** here with a new chapter from** School of Heroes**!  
**

**I felt it necessary to return to the shows roots, even if just a bit. I have the next few chapters planned out, so we'll see how quickly I can type them.**

**So, without further ado, I present you with the 11th chapter of **School of Heroes**!**

* * *

**Chapter 11**

Yumi sighed as her alarm went off, reaching groggily over to touch the 'off' button on her alarm. The shadows swirled as the light blinds were disturbed by the wind, streaks of sunlight illuminating the dark room here and there like tiny translucent glow sticks swirling throughout the small, warm room. The fragrance of flowers and cherry blossoms drifted into the room, bringing with them the uncertain boundary that separates summer and spring and touches a student's heart with promises of endless freedom before the new semester. Sitting up, she smelled something baking in the kitchen, and reluctantly climbed out of bed. She stared at her reflection dejectedly in the bathroom mirror before going through her usual morning routine, and nodded with satisfaction as she finished. Her eyes no longer held the shadows they had previously, and they shone brightly at the prospect of a new day.

"Hey, _Yumi_…" Hiroki said, grinning from behind the doorframe.

"What do you want, Hiroki?" Yumi asked, uninterested.

He smirked, pointing out the bathroom window. "Someone's here for you."

Blinking, Yumi walked over to the window and, pushing the blinds up, caught sight of a tall, muscular boy leaning against the fence, his hair blowing in the wind as if pulled straight from some shojo manga. Her eyes flew open as she recognized him, and he turned, seeming to feel her eyes on him, searching the building for where she might be hiding, observing him from. She smiled, a faint blush coming into her cheeks, and ran past Hiroki, flying down the stairs, barely remembering to grab a slice of melon bread from her mom on the way out. Her dad smiled at her enthusiasm, waving as she rushed by.

"Have fun," he called, turning the pages of his newspaper.

"Dear," Mrs. Ishiyama said, "That _boy_ is outside again. Are you sure we shouldn't-"

Mr. Ishiyama smiled, putting down his paper to look at his wife. "If it's Ulrich, then I'm sure she'll be fine," his voice overflowing with sincerity.

"Dear…"

"Now, breakfast!" Mr. Ishiyama grinned, throwing his hands in the air like Hiroki might have done, suddenly excited by the prospect of food. He stood, taking his wife in his arms, and danced back into the kitchen, Hiroki sidling in after them to snag something for himself before school.

Yumi grinned over her shoulder at her family's antics, and threw open the door, the sudden brightness of the morning light, temporarily blinding her. She covered her eyes with one hand, stepping out into the spring morning. Her eyes cleared, and she immediately sought his eyes, her heart refusing to slow as she found them. Her hair billowed in a fresh gust of wind, intermingling with the blossoms from the trees planted along the canal, and a few stuck in her hair. She ran down the steps, and his smile grew wider, matching her own. Reaching out his hand, he offered it to her, eyes softening, and the sound of her heart's beating grew even more profound inside her head.

"Let's go, Yumi."

* * *

Jeremy pushed up his glasses as another group of girls passed by, looking over their shoulders to catch another glimpse of him. He stared sullenly into his hot chocolate, having lost his appetite. He had been saving the group's usual table for ten minutes now, and he couldn't understand why people kept looking at him, or why a few girls had offered him their croissants already, which he had politely refused.

"Where are those guys…" he muttered to himself, pushing his glasses up.

The door clicked open, and two pairs of people walked in, hand in hand. They looked around, and catching sight of him, the pink-haired girl waved, letting go of her partner's hand and running over to grab her favorite seat before anyone else could. The others made their way over more carefully, unable to match the light step of a ballerina that she portrayed. They reached him, and they sat in their pairs, grinning at him.

"Here long, Jeremy?" Ulrich asked, registering the annoyed look on his friend's face with a laugh.

"Not really," he shrugged. "I've been having some trouble with girls, though. They keep looking at me for some reason."

The others burst out laughing, clutching their sides, bringing an irritated expression once more to their friend's face.

"Jeremy…" Yumi started, being the first to recover. "Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately?"

Jeremy frowned. "No…Why? Is there something wrong with my hair?"

Odd clapped him on the shoulder, winking and giving him the thumbs up. "Quite the opposite. You've finally gotten your growing spurt, haven't you, Einstein?"

Aelita nodded sagely. "I mean, _look_ at you now, compared to before." She eyed his form.

Since the training with Jim had started in P.E., Jeremy had gotten his growing spurt, making him as tall as Ulrich, and his muscles had become more defined from his training, both personal and private, for CombatCon. His face had become more angled also, and he had given up keeping his hair neat, leaving it in a ruggedly handsome mess.

Jeremy blushed as he understood, trying to hide behind his glasses like he had in the past. Odd barked a short, happy laugh.

"Einstein's become a real looker, hasn't he?"

"You guys also, though…" Jeremy murmured, gesturing to them, each of whom immediately looked themselves over. Each of them had become more muscled, more fit than ever before during their training for CombatCon, although there wasn't a noticeable difference in them like there had been for Jeremy. They shrugged, not willing to deny his observation.

The conversation tapered off, each member being immersed in their own thoughts, when the silence was suddenly disturbed by the sharp announcement of the bell that school was starting. They dispersed, waving to one another, and ran to their respective classes, each failing to notice the small boy who stood in the shadows, watching them.

* * *

It was after school, and the Lyoko warriors were in the quad. Jeremy was writing programs for their avatars on Lyoko, and Ulrich and Yumi were asleep, resting against one another. Aelita smiled, looking down at Odd, whose head lay in her lap.

"Everything's so calm..." she sighed happily, happy just to live this life apart from the tyranny of XANA. She looked around, soaking in the warmth from the setting sun, and saw a small boy walking towards her. Blinking, she watched him as he walked up to her, breathing heavily. A terrible feeling, as if something was going to happen to throw their slow world into chaos, overcame her, and her eyes flickered to Jeremy's restlessly. He met her eyes with a question in his, and, closing his computer with a snap that woke Ulrich and Yumi from their slumber, shook Odd awake also.

"Hello…" Aelita said, smiling kindly despite her anxiety. "Are you lost?"

The boy didn't answer, but stopped, swaying on his feet. He began to topple sideways, and Aelita lunged forwards, catching him in her arms before he could hit the ground. As if in slow motion, Odd saw the child grin, its teeth ragged and sharp, and before he could do anything, bite deeply into the soft flesh of Aelita's arm. Her face contorted in pain, and a shadow seemed to cover the world as the child pulled away, the sign of XANA flickering chaotically in its eyes as its mouth dripped grotesquely with the blood of Aelita, smiling in mocking success.

Two things happened.

Firstly, a shadow grabbed the boy, whose surprised face turned into agony as he was first thrown across the yard and then smashed into the ground by someone seeming to fall from the sky. Aelita was suddenly in William's arms, and he turned, looking over his shoulder as if their reactions were slower than necessary. He motioned, and the gang ran towards the Factory, leaving a small, determined girl to fend the monster off by herself. Her eyes were calm, focused, and she held a thin knife in her left hand, her knee tattered and bruised from her mid-air collision. Having timed the jump perfectly, she had slammed both her knees into the midsection of the demonic specter, slamming it to the ground.

The second was when the child transformed into Jim, leaving no doubt in the assumption of its polymorphic nature in the mind of its opponent.

Eren smiled, taking her stance, and motioned for the polymorphic specter to make the first move. Her violet eyes studied her opponent with a well-practiced eye, and her mouth quivered with the excitement before the kill, forming the age-old words of duelists, passed down from millennia ago.

"Go to."

* * *

Ulrich sprinted through the forest, passing William and sliding next to the entryway to the sewers. He lifted it and, looking back from where they came, gestured that they hurry. William was first and, ignoring Odd's offer to help carry Aelita, who was still unconscious and bleeding, jumped straight down, his strong legs landing him effortlessly in the passageway below. The others wasted no time in following, Ulrich sliding the cover back into place, listening for any sign of pursuit before jumping down like William had.

The impact rattled his knees.

The gang raced the Factory, the shadows clustering around Aelita's face seeming to increase as her complexion got paler and paler. Odd bit his lip, looking at Jeremy, who was also looking at their pink-haired friend, obviously calculating their chances of her successfully being able to deactivate a tower. From the look on his face, he didn't have much faith in whatever strength she still had.

The gang sprinted into the Factory, Jeremy sliding into his place at the computer with a familiarity that only came from experience. Despite the crisis, he felt slightly pleased as he settled into the chair; he had finally grown into it. The warriors, however, had another crisis in the scanner room.

"Jeremy, who do we scan first?" Yumi asked, irked by the wait. Behind her, William lowered Aelita to the ground. Odd took off his shirt and kneeling beside Aelita, he bandaged her arm. The red blood seeping through the fabric turned her stomach, and she looked away, disgusted by her weakness.

"It'll take too long to scan everyone individually, take it in pairs," Jeremy said, typing the codes quickly to open the scanners. "Hurry!"

Ulrich took Yumi's hand, pulling her into his scanner, making her blush at their nearness. "Ready when you are, Einstein," he said, pressing his lips to Yumi's hair. Looking pointedly at Odd, William handed him Aelita and pushed them into a scanner, stepping back to give them the thumbs up.

"You too, William," Jeremy said emotionlessly, pushing his glasses up as he reprogrammed the launch program for William's avatar, which he had disabled to keep XANA from possessing him as a puppet on Lyoko again after last time. "Hurry! We don't have much time! You're one of us, aren't you?"

William clambered awkwardly into a scanner, staring around as if he couldn't believe what was happening. He mumbled something incoherent, and the scanners closed with a dull click.

"Scanning…" Jeremy said, his hands flying over the keyboard, glasses flashing in the light of the screen, a wry smile coming to his lips at the familiar sequence that he had always entered, all the battles that they had fought with this same sequence of numbers and letters. He pushed his glasses up, punching the final key and hoping to whatever gods existing that he had not made the wrong decision by allowing William to go back to Lyoko.

"Virtualization," he stated his voice the final key in the combination.

For better, or for worse, William was back on Lyoko.

* * *

The Lyoko warriors materialized in the Forest Sector, right above a patrolling mega tank.

The air whistled around the warriors as they fell silently, Ulrich dispatching the monster with a simple slash on his way past its eye, and the forest reverberated with the sound of its destruction. Odd had grabbed Aelita mid-air, and he held her in his arms as he landed, standing her up as gently as he could. She was conscious now, and she took a few tentative steps, collapsing as soon as Odd let go of her. William vaporized his sword and walked over to Odd, holding out his arms in a gesture meaning to carry her. Odd looked at him suspiciously, and William smiled wryly at his lack of faith.

"You don't trust me to fight anyway, do you?" he asked, taking Aelita in his arms.

Nodding to one another in silent agreement, the remaining warriors formed a 'v', with Ulrich taking point while Yumi and Odd covered his left and right, keeping William and Aelita in their center as they ran through the ghostly forest towards the ominous red tower in the distance. Monsters appeared left and right, which were promptly destroyed by the marksmanship of Odd and Yumi, but the way ahead lay barren and clear.

Suddenly, with the tower just in front of them, the group stopped, staring at the ghostly figure in front of them. It was a humanoid figure with an eye on its forehead, its black eyes and mouth gaping endlessly into infinity, its outfit the one worn by William during his possession by XANA. William narrowed his eyes and touched his red sash, the only common piece between his past and present selves. The new monster was obviously a clone of William, taken from some dire plan of XANA during his captivity. The only difference was the weapon, a halberd, which gleamed dully in the soft light that shone eternally in this forest of dreams.

Ulrich drew his swords and stepped forward, but stopped as two more identical clones stepped out from behind the first, forming a wall barring their way with their lowered weapons. His eyes narrowed, and he felt Odd and Yumi on either side of him, rearing to go. He focused himself, attuning himself to tunnel vision, and ignored everything aside from that in front of him. He stepped forward, preparing to sprint at his opponent, and faltered at the sound of metal-on-metal and a weak cry, spinning around to see William holding his sword, Aelita on the ground behind him as he fended off a fourth clone. He spun, realizing his fatal mistake, and was met with a blinding pain as he was pierced by his opponent's weapon. He coughed, and looking at the monster in front of him, saving the image in his mind, sanctioning it off for future reference. The world misted, turning blue with sheets that flew towards the sky, and he found himself in the scanner room.

Ulrich slammed his fist against the floor in frustration, and felt something soft on top of him. Turning over, he found Yumi collapsed on top of him, and looked across the room to see Odd unconscious in his own scanner.

'_We failed…'_

* * *

William gritted his teeth as he was pushed ever further away from Aelita's unmoving body. He swung his sword, clearing the immediate area of enemies as he surged forward to cover Aelita's still body once more. One of the clones feinted, and William swung his sword clumsily, falling for it. He was impaled by two others, pinning him through his body to a tree, helpless as Aelita was picked up by anther clone. He looked at her, and seeming to find nothing of interest in her, he threw her off the ledge, beginning the long descent into the Digital Sea.

In that moment, William's eyes met hers, remembering the helplessness he had felt when possessed by XANA and had devirtualized her reflected in her green eyes. He wasn't going to let that happen again. Twisting his hand around, he threw his sword with as much force as he could muster from his elbow, and it impaled Aelita with a sickening sound not unlike that made when a skewer enters the animal it is intended to cook.

She smiled at him as she devirtualized, even knowing that they had lost, and William turned away, ashamed.

He had failed.

Again.

* * *

A dark figure slid down the ladder in the scanner room, sprinting over to the final scanner to catch the girl who fell out of it and cradle her head in its hands, observing the ever-growing blood stain on her arm. The figure's mouth creased into a thin line, and she bent down to untie the makeshift bandage, tearing through the fabric with her knife when it took too long. Pressing her mouth quickly to the bite mark on Aelita's arm, she began to drink the blood, cleansing her of any toxins. Aelita's troubled face grew less agitated, and her face lost some of its pain.

"Doesn't anybody know about the word 'virus'?" she asked with dull humor, resting Aelita carefully aside with her bandage re-tied, the blood having stopped.

Standing up, Eren wiped the blood from her lips, and stepped into the scanner, smirking as the doors closed, whispering the word which held infinite meaning for both her soul and theirs.

"Virtualization."

* * *

**So how was it? I know it was a bit rough, but I felt it necessary to wake people up from the happy stupor created by the lack of any XANA activity in the story so far. I also hope you are all puzzled by the enigma that is Eren; I am, personally, incredibly excited to reveal her to you over the next few chapters.**

**Big thank you to **UNSC Spirit of Fire** and** tploy** for reviewing! As always, I appreciate feedback of any kind, especially constructive criticism.****  
**

**Chapter 12 will be out soon!**


	13. Chapter 12 -- Disclosure

**Hey guys, **Noble Scotsman** here with a new chapter from **School of Heroes**!**

**I liked writing this chapter, and I sincerely hope those of you reading it recognize the various questions which I leave unanswered, which I will answer in an upcoming chapter. I hope Eren hasn't become something of a drag yet, but, without further ado, please enjoy this next chapter of **School of Heroes**!**

* * *

**Chapter 12**

William narrowed his eyes at the four abominations that XANA had created, using him as a base. They were an obvious message to both he and the Lyoko warriors, that he could easily be replaced.

He really was a useless existence.

He looked down, clamping his hands around the two spear points which pinned him to the tree, and saw a red stain spreading from their points of entry. He blinked with surprise, and suddenly coughed, retching blood which splattered the monsters and contrasted brilliantly with the soft forest green they were surrounded by. He realized what was happening to him, suddenly, and struggled desperately, panicking. Why was he bleeding? This wasn't supposed to normally happen, he was sure of that. A thought suddenly hit him, causing him to stop resisting.

Was he going to die here?

William lowered his head, accepting his fate, giving up. He had no powers, no special technique, and no weapon. Once again, he was utterly alone, a single flame drowning in an ocean of darkness.

Nobody to save him.

William looked up as he fell, and being too weak to land on his feet, he collapsed to his knees, taking sharp, rasping breaths and clutching his chest. He looked behind him, seeing his clones standing in a line, confused as they watched a new object approach, moving quickly through the trees, using branches and the trunks themselves and places to run and jump from, weaving an intricate net around the monsters as it took in the situation. The monsters turned where they thought it was, and a sweet sound, like the clear, ringing tune of a glass bell rang forth as one of the monsters disintegrating into nothingness that seeped into the ground. The remaining monsters shuffled their feet nervously, lowering their weapons at the threat that had come from behind them, darting past to stand in front of them, fifty feet away. William looked with them, squinting through his pain.

The person knelt on one knee, holding a straight-edged sword of the European style, but with more elegance than any sword from that period could have been forged with. It seemed to shine in the dark forest, illuminating the trees and path around it with a soft light. The figure stood, swinging it's sword to cleanse it of the remains of the monster that desperately clung to the sword, and a soft sound reverberated throughout the forest, sweeter than the softest flute music that man could dream of.

Euterpe.

The figure was clad in a black jumpsuit like the other Lyoko warriors wore, undecorated except for the emblem of a white cross on her left wrist, and wore a white coverlet which split at the chest and ran down to the figure's waist, upon which hung a red sash which sheath hung from, painted half white and half black. The figure's feet were part of it's jumpsuit, and had armor on its outer thighs and shoulders, causing William to assume it would also have armor on the chest too. The figure had on a cowl, but her brown hair and violet eyes were clearly visible underneath, her face painted with a small insignia of a black eagle, which was also painted on the white coverlet, the eagle screaming a challenge at anyone who was bold enough to point their sword at its bearer.

Eren met William's gaze, and let a shadow of concern pass over her face at the sight of his wound before turning back to her opponents, fury evident in her eyes. She mouthed something too softly for William to hear, but the monsters took a step back as she took one forward, bracing themselves.

Eren smiled, and suddenly sprinted towards the monsters, running her sword down the length of the first's weapon as it lunged at her, and thrust her sword into its belly, making it double over, and thrust her knee upwards while pulling her sword out, the impact of her strike reverberating throughout the trees and denting the chin of the recipient. The monster raised an arm protectively, and Eren sliced it off, moving through her strokes with apparent ease, and ended the monster's misery by thrusting her sword through its insignia. The other monsters looked at her warily and began to circle her, moving on opposite sides. Eren eyed them, and planted her sword in the ground, crossing her arms as she closed her eyes.

The monsters stopped circling and thrust their halberd at her at the same time, which Eren promptly avoided by vaulting into the air, laughing with exuberance as the monsters pieced each other, now bound to one another. She landed, and sweeping the legs off of the first one, jumped at the second and kicked it hard, in perfect form, and it sailed off the edge into the Digital Sea, pulling the other one with it, who managed to stop itself at the edge and try to pull the point out of its chest. Eren narrowed her eyes and walked over to her sword, pulling it effortlessly from the ground, and walked over to her prey. The monster looked up at her pitifully, and she swung her sword, opening a gash on its thigh. She continued to swing, opening more and more gashes, causing the monster more and more pain, until its legs failed it and it toppled with its partner into the Digital Sea.

Eren sheathed her sword and sprinted over to William, cradling his head in her hands, her violet eyes seeking his anxiously. She laughed at his confused expression, and pressed a finger to his lips, looking at him seriously.

"Don't talk. Jeremy's going to devirtualized you, now," she said, straightening his body to allow more air to flow to his lungs.

William opened and closed his mouth stupidly, trying to phrase what he needed to say. "Why are you-"

"Don't talk."

"-on Lyoko?" he finished, moving on quickly to the next questions, afraid she wouldn't answer him. "Why are you so good at fighting? Why am I bleeding? Did we lose? Where did you come from? What's happening-"

Eren pressed her lips to his, mouth creasing into a serious expression as she pulled away, frowning at him with disapproval. "There. Now don't talk."

William clamped his mouth shut, and watched Eren as she stood up, taking a few steps before she leaped into a full sprint at the activated tower, her figure leaving ripples that creased the surface of the tower and ran over the the world fading around him as he fell into the peaceful state of devirtualization that he had only once experienced before.

He opened his eyes to find himself in the scanner room, surrounded by the smiling faces of the Lyoko warriors. Odd gave him the thumbs up, and even Aelita smiled weakly to see him back safe. Jeremy hung from the ladder's rungs about halfway up, and giving a triumphant cry, he let go, falling to the floor and landing with perfect balance.

William was impressed.

"Aelita told us what you did," Ulrich said, clapping him on the shoulder. "You saved her life, you know."

"But the mission…" William said, coughing weakly as he felt the afterpain of his wounds in Lyoko.

"…Can be reattempted, now that you brought Aelita back," Jeremy finished, squatting beside him, smiling hugely. "That's all that matters."

"Even if you say that…" William said, his face contorting in pain.

"William," Yumi said, starting towards him as she saw the color spreading across his chest. "Are you-"

"What's this?" Jeremy said, thumbing his headset, swiveling to look at the hatch which he had just climbed down from. "Somebody's entered the tower!?"

"What!?" Odd and Ulrich cried, turning to look at Jeremy incredulously. "That's not possible."

Jeremy shook his head, taking the ladder two rungs at a time. "Better start believing, Odd, come with me, Ulrich."

William smiled weakly at the ceiling as they left, and the room started to darken around the edges of his vision. He felt himself falling, heard Yumi calling for something, and then…Nothing…

* * *

Jeremy jumped into his chair, pulling up the screen for the activated tower, and saw the letters blink in recognition of the person entering the code.

Ulrich leaned in, and Jeremy's eyes narrowed, reading the seven lettered word that was typed in front of their eyes, confusion turning to disbelief as they read what was written. Ulrich ran for the rungs, taking only two before jumping down, rushing to see a scanner emit a gush of steam, revealing a small girl with eyes violet and a mouth stained red with blood. She smiled at his surprise, and teetering on the edge of the scanner, collapsed into his arms. Ulrich raised an eyebrow at Yumi and laid the girl against the scanner gently, taking off his shirt to use as a bandage for William as he saw his condition.

"What happened to William…?" he asked her softly, taking over for her, knowing her anxiety around blood.

"I don't know," she stated, turning away, breathing deeply. "Are you going to tell us what happened with the tower, though?"

Ulrich's eyes narrowed, choosing his words carefully, knowing full well that Jeremy could hear him.

"It appears that we're not the only ones out there…" he said, leaving it at that.

"We certainly aren't…" Jeremy muttered, staring at the word in front of him, looking at the 'deactivated' tower, which instead of producing white smoke, was wreathed in black. It made sense that it would be, especially if it was the ancient power he was thinking of.

The most powerful army after Rome.

A country built from ashes.

Destroyed out of jealousy.

P-R-U-S-S-I-A

* * *

The music blared through the gym like a breath of fresh air on a warm summer day, chasing the euphoria which lay within the musicians who played. The gym lay empty except for the 5 people who stood on stage, playing their hearts out. The sun streaked through the sun panels, making spotlights in the dark gym and causing the dust which swirled around from the musicians' exertions to sparkle like diamonds.

Pink hair flashed suddenly, accompanying a crystalline smile as the bearer smiled brilliantly into the sunlight. The girl pushed the volume up on her mixing board, amplifying both her and her bandmates' sound to reverberate throughout the entire building. Pushing her headphones up to rest easily over her ears, she closed her eyes, intoxicated by the sound.

Blond flashed twice in the dark gym like fireworks, their golden brilliance sudden and wonderful in the sweet euphony. Like the remnants of fading suns, they sparkled in and out of existence as the sunlight hit them, causing the bearers' heart to increase with love for their music and their art. Their outfits were very different, one wearing a purple long-sleeved t-shirt, the other a black V-neck, but they strummed together, complimenting each other's sound.

Brown hair meshed with shadows as the beat of the drums echoed throughout the room, keeping the musicians in time, the drummer flashing a smile at his girlfriend, her hand pushing her black hair behind her ear as she stepped up to the mike to sing, taking a last-minute glance at the girl who sat off to the side, her brown hair and violet eyes laughing happily together as she held a boy's head in her lap, his black hair blowing slightly in a draft that had made its way under the door She gave the singer the thumbs-up, and sat back contentedly. Taking a deep breath, the singer's voice echoed throughout the room, perfectly tuned to the band's music, singing of their experiences, their feelings, the music quieting as she began to sing.

We were searching for our own Shangri la

Though high above it was the apple of our eye

We were willing to do anything to reach that tainted sky

But, we only notice what's important once it is gone

That sin, that song, to us so young

Still keeps us so locked up in its sound

I am not willing to let my memories die

I will always hold on to those days of bliss

I can still learn how to fly

Even though I'm wounded from the Black abyss

It is alright if I am a fool

Because my dream still shines like a jewel

I say goodbye to the cerulean days

Yumi finished, looking at Eren, thinking of everything that had happened since the day she had joined them, becoming an integrated part of their group, as necessary as Aelita was, or Odd. William had also been welcomed back after his last performance, and his mysterious wounds had been healed. Eren's quick intervention after dealing with the polymorphic specter also had saved Aelita's life, and the two had become constant companions recently.

Despite all these good things, Yumi still didn't trust her. Jeremy had informed them while she was unconscious of the mysterious code entered in the tower, and the strange color it had changed. There were others out there like them, possibly many worlds like Lyoko that must be protected, defended from viruses like XANA taking over.

If that was true, what was she doing here?

* * *

**How was it? Let me know in the reviews.  
**

**Prussia - Surprised? It's by no means revealed yet, though, so I hope it still enjoyably surprising when I do fully reveal it. Eren's outfit was styled as the Lyoko-form of the Teutonic Knights, big thank you to my anonymous reviewer for the suggestion and personality quirks. The song sang by Yumi at the end is by **geekymcgeekstein**, Shangri La from Soukyuu no Fafner; look her up on Youtube to listen to the actual song. **

**Chapter 13 will be out soon!**


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